


You're the Bun That I Want

by CrimsonBlueMoon (Navybluewings)



Series: Marvel Kinktober 2018 [28]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Bunny Tony Stark, Cuddling, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Magic Made Them Do It, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Scenting, Slow Burn, kind of, why is this not a tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-05
Updated: 2018-11-05
Packaged: 2019-08-19 11:53:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 21,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16534112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Navybluewings/pseuds/CrimsonBlueMoon
Summary: When Tony angers the wrong sorceress, he gets bit by a bunny infused with her magic. Steve is sure something's off, but the genius knows best, and Captain America's worry is pushed to the side.That is, until Tony shows up the next morning with Bunny ears. And that's just the start of the problems. Can Steve manage to hide his own feelings while handling each new 'symptom' or Tony's curse? Or will he end up showing his hand to the only bunny he wants?





	1. Some Bunny Once Told Me...

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so this is tech day 31 for my kink thing (I know, I'm doing it out of order) and my Discord is 100% to blame for this. It's super long and I've been working on it for nearly a month, so please enjoy!

If Steve had to pick out a moment that he realized his life was chaos, it might have been while punching a lion in the face. As a kid, he’d never been able to see one in person, the zoo too expensive for his mother’s small paycheck to afford. He and Bucky had stood outside of the gates a few times to listen to the exotic animals, but never were slick enough to sneak in between the bars. Now, with his shoulder aching from the feline’s claw and his Kevlar slathered with lion drool, the man wondered if the kid from Brooklyn would be terrified or excited to be this close to the exotic animal. 

“Steve, it looks like we’ve got a pack of wolves heading toward Times Square.” Wanda’s voice crackled through the communicator in his ear, Steve deflecting a paw swipe with his shield before smashing it into the animal’s chest. The impact stunned the large cat, giving the captain time to bark out his command. 

“Romanoff and Barton; I need you to contain the wolves before they get to any civilians.” 

“On it.” The synced answer between the two friends was expected, and Steve battled back another deadly lunge of the lion before continuing his orders.

“JARVIS, can you send out an alert to the NYPD to clear out three blocks surrounding us? The fewer people Anima turns into animals to fight us, the better.” 

“Yes, Captain Rogers.” The etiquette of the AI felt far too distant from his creator, Steve’s lip quirking into a smile when hearing a noise of protest. 

“JARVIS, how many times do I have to tell you his name is Capsicle?” Iron Man’s gold and red armor soared over Steve’s head, who spared a second to glance at him before turning back toward the animal circling his body. 

“Nice to see you show up, Shellhead.” 

“Yeah, well, collecting enough fast-acting sedatives to knock out half of Africa’s wildlife tends to set off red flags with ASPCA. Had to get some clearances and organize a wildlife relief fund first.” A well-timed shot from the armor nailed the growling feline in the neck, and Steve watched the animal’s body start to sway from the drug. Tony dropped down next to Steve, popping open his faceplate to send the amused leader a wide grin. “And I had to make some adjustments to the suit, as you can see. Do you know how hard it is to turn a repulsor into a glorified blow-dart?” 

“Let’s focus on containing the rest of these animals,” Steve said, ignoring Tony’s huff of irritation at not being properly complimented for his work. Instead, he pointed to the battle going on toward the middle of the park, which Steve had been drawn away from by the now sleeping lion. 

Their newest villain, Anima, had claimed to be a zoologist before seeing the ‘pain and destruction’ humans caused the animal kingdom. Promising to give earth back to nature, the woman turned to black magic, selling her soul in order to gain power. She’d grown fangs and inherited glowing yellow eyes in the process, her skin covered with patches of scales and fur. Looking more like the beasts she obsessed over, the woman had taken Central Park hostage, turning any human she saw into animals before the Avengers could get onto the scene. Now, the bursts of magic that were being thrown between Anima and Scarlet Witch lit up the evening sky, with Dr. Strange assisting the best he could. 

“She’s got some sort of magic-”

“Unproven science,” Tony interjected, earning a warning look from the captain. 

“ **Whatever** it is, it’s turning people into animals. Our goal is to contain damage to the park until Wanda and Dr.Strange can tie her down.”

“Didn’t know you were into bondage, Cap.”  The wink that followed was almost expected, and Steve had to force himself not to blush. 

“Iron Man-”

“Kidding, Captain No-fun. Where do you need me?” The engineer slipped into his co-leader position easily, like he was simply pulling on a new shirt. It always amazed Steve the complexity of their genius, and the multiple faces he wore on any given day. Those who saw him in the corporate world got Mr. Stark, the brilliant but pompous showboat most knew him as. The villains they faced met Iron Man, a steely but sarcastic demeanor. The public would never expect “Tony Stank” (as the rest of the team jokingly called him after Rhodey’s new favorite story), had goofy, laid-back quirks that shined through inside the Avengers tower. And in rare moments, Steve got to see Tony, a quiet softness rounding the edges of the man’s charisma. Each side was him, inside and out, and yet none of them fully painted the picture of the man behind the iron mask. 

“I think Bucky and Hulk might appreciate some help calming down their elephant.”

“Why would you think that?” The grit in Bucky’s voice was followed by the loud trumpet sounding off in the distance. Another roar, far more familiar to the team, nearly broke the soldier’s heightened eardrum, a grunt from his war buddy much softer in comparison. “Stick me between an elephant and a raging mass of green muscle. Nah, I totally got this.” 

“If you can sass, then you’re good to fight.” Despite Steve’s answer, the co-leaders sent each other a look before the engineer nodded and put power into his boot repulsors.

“Dumbo patrol is on the way.”

“No need to call yourself names, Stark.” The joke was met with a roll of Tony’s eyes, though his smile proved that it was received well. It’d taken them some time to gain their footing, learning that putting their heads together to work as a unit ended in a far better result than butting heads and grandstanding. They still disagreed, Tony relying far too much on technology and Steve struggling to let go of some traditional thinking. But for the most part, the two were better than simple comrades that shared the battlefield. They spent time together, whether it was in Tony’s lab or watching movies in the communal living room with the rest of the team. Steve was able to swindle Tony into eating something other than coffee on a regular basis, and Tony showed the captain there was more to the world that training and official duties. They supported each other on and off the field, and if there was a fallout of communication, it didn’t result in a civil war (again). They genuinely seemed to like the other’s company, and had become close friends over the years. 

And maybe on Steve’s side, a little more than that. 

“Tell Buckeroo to hang tight; I’ll swing by and pop one of these darts into Horton and meet you where all the...glowy stuff is happening. Oh, and tell him to find some roasted peanuts; elephants love those things.” Steve shook his head when Tony snickered at his own joke,  pushing back into the air to locate his next rescue. Steve watched the man fly through the sky, seeing small dots of light sedating some of the smaller animals along the way. It was a comforting sight, and Steve felt his shoulders relax for the first time since Anima took over Central Park.

“Yeah, when you’re done flirting with-” Sam’s dry tone implied he’d heard the conversation, and the captain focused on the battle still going on around them. “You want to tell me what I’m supposed to be doing with all these cows Spiderkid and I netted?” 

“It’s Spiderman!” The squeak in the protest showed how young Peter was, despite the hero name he wanted to use. 

“You know, I used to be the most respected pararescue in the air force. Now I’m playing FarmVille with a kid who thinks Jurassic Park is good ‘for its time’.”

“It was made in the 90s, do you know how long ago that was?” Sam’s groan was loud, as if Peter had actually wounded him. 

“I have jeans older than this kid-” 

“Just keep the cows calm while I check in with the rest of the team,” Steve interrupted, moving through the park to assess the situation. “Avengers, report.” 

“I am having a marvelous time with these bears. They’re magnificent creatures; I wish to own one as a pet!” The jovial laugh from the demi-god proved that Thor’s statement was probably far truer than most would think. 

“Ow.” Clint’s flat tone proved that he was not pleased with being interrupted in his fight, thought Nat stepped in to finish the conversation.

“Clint’s learning what it feels like to be a chew toy, but we’re good on our side. Any word on Anima?” 

“Strange and Wanda have her boxed in, but she’s still putting up a fight. I’m heading that way to try and talk her down,” Steve answered, making his way back toward the commotion. 

“Because nobody can say no to Captain America’s guilt lecture.” Clint’s sarcastic response was ignored by Steve, who weaved his way along the torn up ground to help support their team’s magic wielders. 

“The animals deserve this land!” Snarls punctuated each word pooling out of Anima’s mouth, eyes filled with fury when deflecting an energy shot from the Scarlet Witch. Wanda stumbled back at the recoil, but Steve made it in time to steady her fall. His shield thrusted up when a beam of green energy was shot their way, the vibranium holding steady despite the magic intertwined in the attack. Scarlet Witch sent a look of gratitude toward Steve before using his bent thigh to push back into the air, giving the captain time to avoid another attack by rolling to his left.

“You can’t change the world this way. If you give up now, we can try to help you with your cause.” Steve’s words made the woman’s eyes narrow, her response hissed out like venom. 

“This isn’t a problem a human like you would understand.” 

“You’re human, too-”

“I am not one of you! I belong with my kind!” The dissociative behavior made Steve grimace, knowing the woman’s mind was too corrupted to save. His years of experience dealing with zealots proved that once they were set on their endgame, logic didn’t matter. Their goal would be met, or they would die trying. His hand tightened on his shield's handle, eyes steady in their stare down on the sorceress. 

“Last warning; stand down.” He tried to use his commander voice, which worked far better with anyone but the person it was intended for. Not one to break the pattern, Anima huffed at the order, narrowly avoiding Strange’s crimson bands to lunge toward the American hero.

“Don’t underestimate my army’s power!” Her advance was knocked back by a new blast of energy, though Steve knew it wasn’t from a magic user. A net made of a fiber that the captain assumed wasn’t rope shot around the knocked down woman, pinning her to the ground. Dr. Strange and the Scarlet Witch assisted in keeping the struggling villainess down when she started to break free from the netting, red bands of magic wrapping around her wrists and ankles. Despite her enraged snarls and growls, Anima was pinned to the ground, unable to move.

“Not sure a ferret is going to scare me more than the people that live in the subway.” Tony’s comment was full of cockiness when he appeared on the scene, floating near the woman who was now glaring on the ground. “But I’m tempted to let you go if you promise to turn Justin Hammer into a snake.”   

“ **You** .” The hatred that flared in the woman’s face was directed toward the iron suit, who didn’t seem bothered at the scathing tone. 

“I just finished putting your army down for a little catnap, and that includes the Cheetahs.” Composed as he dropped down from the sky, Tony let one of his gauntlets retract back, the helmet dropping away. He brushed back his hair, Tony showing his charismatic smile to the irate woman pinned at his feet. “So you might wanna listen to the man in blue and cry uncle.” 

“I will never bow down and be your pet. You, of all men, deserve to feel the pain of being a slave of a greedy man's whim.” Steve watched the anger shake the woman’s shoulders from her position on the ground, too focused on Tony to notice the rest of the Avengers starting to regroup around her. A quick glance proved that all their teammates were there, except Bruce, who tended to prefer de-hulking in a quiet area, and Clint, who was in the distance directing SHEILD’s agents on the scene. The large groups were trying to corral the animals into the black trucks now surrounding the park. How they were going to reverse the enchantments on the humans, Steve wasn’t sure, but he knew when to step back and let specialists of magic handle the situation. For now, he was focused on Tony, who looked at the captured woman in annoyance.

“Lady, I just threw a million dollars into a wildlife fund I can’t pronounce and I don’t even own a fish.”

“Tony,” Steve warned, knowing Tony’s mouth tended to exacerbate situations that were already tense. From the corner of his eye, movement caught the soldier’s attention, and the hair of the back his neck stood up in warning. “Iron Man!” 

“No really, not a single fish in my whole office-whoa!” Tony was interrupted when a ball of black fur darted onto his arm, the small animal sinking their incisors into the skin of the engineer’s hand. Instantly Tony hissed at the pain, waving his hand until the bunny was knocked back down to the ground. The rabbit scurried away, Steve’s eyes following it while his mouth already moved in command.

“Widow-”

“On it.” One of the faster members of the team, Natasha seemed to have no issue in tracking the agile animal, her movements proving she’d capture her prey in no time. Satisfied with the result, Steve moved over to Tony and pulled the injured hand between his own to inspect. 

“Let me see that.”

“I’m fine, mom.” Tony’s protest did little to sway Steve’s need to check, focusing on the oozing wound on Tony’s palm. The blood that’d been spilled was expected, but the green energy around the wound took him back for a moment. The glow was gone when he blinked, and Steve wondered if his mind had simply played a trick on him. But before he could settle on that idea, a sinister laugh from their opponent caught both men’s attention.

“You think the animals care about your flashy suit or meaningless money? We don’t think like humans; we can’t be bought or bribed to commit heinous crimes. We hunt to survive, and only care about staying alive. You weak-willed humans are run by frivolous things, like greed and gluttony. Humans make weapons for sport and use them to force their way up the food chain. You think you are the top predators in this world, and only become prey when a bigger human tries to knock you down. And you,  **Stark** -” The disdain in the word left goosebumps on Steve’s skin, though he set his jaw and glared down at the woman who looked victorious despite her position. “You’ve never had to be the prey, even to your own kind.”

“Starks are made of Iron; we’re never prey.” The line was tossed in as a deflection from her intense stare, but Steve felt the flinch of the hand still held between his own when her lips split into a sickly grin. 

“Even sharks have something they’re afraid of.” Her yellow eyes dropped away from the stoic face of the genius, seeming to glow when stopping on the arc reactor shining from his suit. Lips were glossed over when she ran her tongue against them, like a starving tiger spotting tantalizing prey in the distance. And the glimmer of something sinister made the captain’s stomach twist in discomfort. 

“Get her out of here.” The snapped command from Steve had Wanda and Stephen moving, Thor and Spiderman both offering to join them in case she tried to escape her bonds. The limpness of her limbs and lack of fight in being carted away should have eased the air, but Steve could still feel something lingering. His eyes locked on Tony, who seemed to favor staring down at the mark on his hand over meeting his leader’s gaze. 

“Wilson, come with me to help Barton get the hawks into the cages. You speak bird, right?” Steve knew it was Bucky’s way of giving him a moment alone with Iron Man, and Falcon easily picked up on the excuse.

“Whatever you want to think, Elsa.” Sam replied before bumping the ex-assassin’s stomach with his elbow while passing. Tony scoffed at the retreating forms, shoulders bracing themselves while he sent a defiant glare up at the blond.

“How long did it take for you to train your lap dogs to scurry on command?” 

“You need to get SHIELD medics to look at this,” Steve countered, making a point to lift the hand that was still bleeding. Just as easily the genius waved the concern away with a roll of his eyes, but didn’t pull his hand from Steve’s touch. 

“Funny, I remember saying the same thing to you when you got  **stabbed through the arm** last week, but you said you’d heal fine without medical treatment.”

“I have the serum, and you were glowing-”

“I got bit by a bunny, Steve, not a barracuda. The worst thing that will happen is I’ll have to get Brucie Bear to patch me up tomorrow if it’s still bothering me.”

“Stark,” Steve started, but Tony didn’t give him to finish the command.

“I’m not going to die from Roger Rabbit’s love nibble. I’m not  **that** weak.” There was a bite at the end of Tony’s tone which indicated that Steve had offended the other man, and he felt a squeeze around his heart when Tony stepped away, finally breaking their physical connection. 

“Nobody thinks you’re weak. You’re one of the strongest guys I know.” And he meant it, even if his friend struggled to take any sort of compliment Steve provided him. Tony’s lips pressed together tightly, but the captain couldn’t decipher the new expression on his friend before the faceplate clinked back into place, the grittier voice dropping between them.

“I’m going to make sure no stragglers got out while Agent’s goon squad were snapchatting or playing Angry Birds on their phone; I’ll see you back at the tower.” 

“Don’t forget the meeting tomorrow with Fury.” Steve knew any attempt to keep the man there to talk about the tension between them would be a waste now. Tony was crawling back into his public persona, and trying to get anything of substance from him would result in deflection and pointless fighting. So he simply stepped back, watching Tony rev up his suit’s power again. 

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world, Cap.” And then he was gone, Steve glancing back to the gloves still wet from Tony’s blood with a scowl.

He could only hope his bad feeling would go away by tomorrow.  

~**~ 

Morning meetings, despite the rumors that were spread by his immature teammates, were not a preferred way for Steve to start his day. He tended to have a schedule he maintained, and the introduction of a conference always shifted things later than Steve liked. The only thing that got to stay the same was his morning work-out, which was always too early to be disturbed by any predetermined event. He enjoyed the quiet of the gym in the early hours and spoiled himself with much longer hot showers than he’d ever dreamt of taking when he was a kid. The promise that no matter the length, the water would stay warm, was a luxury that many didn’t fully understand like the man from the past did. The heat was still pouring off his reddened skin when he walked down the halls toward the conference room, his relaxed muscles finally taking a break from his normal wear and tear. But they jolted to life almost painfully when two people crashed into his side. 

“Hey!” Snagging the culprits trying to sprint down the hall, Steve was less than surprised by his capture. Peter had the decency to look guilty over nearly barreling down the leader of the Avengers, though Clint kept trying to squirm out of his shirt to get away. “Since when are you two this excited about a de-briefing?” 

“Nat didn’t text you?” Clint’s movements stopped as he stared up at Steve in awe, and the taller man shrugged before answering.

“I left my phone in my room. Why, what’s going on?” 

“Oh my God.” Peter joined in on the look of amazement, the sharpshooter vibrating in his spot before swinging around to get behind Steve. 

“This is going to be amazing! Come on, Captain, don’t wanna be late for this.” 

If he wanted, Steve could have easily dug his heels into the floor and refused to budge without answers, but it was too early in the morning to deal with Clint’s shenanigans. Instead, he allowed himself to be directed down the hall, ignoring the Hawkeye’s snickers and Peter’s worried glances to jog up the stairs. When at the top, Steve’s hearing picked up on a familiar sound; Fury yelling. The noise wasn’t something the captain had expected this early in the day, as it was normally reserved for when Tony came strolling in late to a meeting. In fact, he wasn’t sure the last time he’d heard the director of SHIELD yell at anyone but the genius. More than a little interested in discovering who was inducing the man’s wrath, Steve moved in front of the conference doors, allowing JARVIS to open them to a surprising scene. 

Tony occupying his normal seat earlier than eleven was a shock in itself. His eyes were on his nails, ankles crossed and propped up on the table. Fury’s irritation was not as uncommon, though some of the rage that normally paired with the look had been replaced with confusion. Natasha had the practiced facade of indifference on, but years of working with the assassin helped Steve see she was still collecting herself. A click of a phone could be heard to his left, and he knew it was Peter trying to capture the moment that had Clint bowed over and cackling. He wasn’t sure if the spider-clad hero was snapping a photo of Steve or of the man he continuously called his mentor. Honestly, he wasn’t sure of anything at the moment.

Because Tony had brown bunny ears popping out of his head, and Captain America was left speechless at the sight. 

“Would someone like to tell me why the hell we’ve got Peter Cottontail sitting in our meeting?” The question was rhetorical as Fury glared at all of the members in the room, all looking just as confused about the scene as Steve. 

“Do you know who that is, Captain?” Peter’s whisper wasn’t as quiet at he wanted to believe, Steve’s cheeks turning pink when the attention was brought back to him. 

“Don’t age us too much, spiderling.” A steady hand dropped onto the teenager’s head, Steve glancing to the smirking ex-assassin. Bucky and Falcon slipped into the meeting room, Steve’s best friend nudging Peter with his elbow. “Even we weren’t born when that book was made.” 

“Ah, my bad, Mr. Barnes.” The professional name got an arched eyebrow from Steve, but Bucky gave a wide grin to show he’d expected it. Steve would have to sit down and have a conversation with friend about his influence on the younger avenger. 

“Don’t worry about it, buddy.” Bucky ruffled the polite teen’s hair before turning his attention to the man of the hour, arching an eyebrow at the genius. “Is Stark cosplaying for our meeting?”

“How do you know what cosplay is, but you’re still lost on how to work the microwave?” Sam asked, arching his eyebrow at the shrug he received. 

“Maybe I just like the popcorn better when you make it.”

“You son of a bitch.” 

“Steve’s gonna yell at you for swearing in front of the kid,” Natasha said from her chair, Steve catching her sneaky smile when he had started to open his mouth to scold his teammates. 

“Shouldn’t we focused on our new easter bunny?” Clint’s teasing actually focused the group, and Steve turned back to see Tony cross his arms. The captain blinked when the ears on top of Tony’s head twitched, then lowered in a backward motion. The fact that the new appendages moved made the moment even more surreal for Steve, who tried not to stare at the furry additions. 

“I thought this was a debriefing meeting? If this is how these things go, I’m never getting up again.”

“You don’t think this change is because of the bite you got yesterday?” Natasha’s inquiry had Steve glancing to the hand, which lacked any bandaging. 

“I’m not giving that woman any credit for this.” Three flicks of the left ear made Steve shift on his feet, trying not to stare at the interesting movements. It looked like the position of the ears were connected to his teammate’s mood, but their meaning was lost on the tactician. And his mind wandered, wondering if anything else had changed with Tony. Did he have fur? Would Tony grow whiskers? What parts of him-

“Captain? You still breathing there, buddy?” Clint’s question had Steve focusing again, clearing his throat to try and hide his embarrassment when he gave a short nod. 

“We thinking it was Anima’s magic?” 

“Bruce and Strange pulled some blood earlier and they’re running tests to see what happened overnight,” Natasha explained, arms strategically crossed on the table in front of her. Even when looking relaxed, Steve knew she was a force to be reckoned with. “Fury just sent Wanda to go try and extract some information from Anima’s mind, but we’re sure she’s got some defense charms up. Dr. Strange did suggest that she had used the bite to transfer some of her transmutation magic. Since it wasn’t a direct exchange, he didn’t get the full alteration, but still has some side effects.” 

“So basically, she used her magic to cast a curse via bunny bite?” Bucky’s grin was too wide not to be teasing, and Tony sent a glare the soldier’s way while his ears pressed back to the top of his head. 

“It’s not a curse because magic isn’t real.” 

“Dude, you have  **bunny ears** .” Sam’s reply was meant to show how ridiculous Tony was being, but the man simply pressed his lips together and tilted his chin up. 

“Tony,” Steve interjected, moving to cross the room and stand beside Tony. “Is there anything else that you’ve noticed is different about you since you woke up?”

“Like what, a tail?” 

“ **A tail** ?” Fury’s voice was strained from his question, Tony giving a shrug. 

“I didn’t see one this morning, but I wasn’t really looking.” Clint didn’t hesitate to hop up onto the table, hand waving with far too much excitement. 

“I volunteer to check it out!”

“Because you’re a specialist in animals?” A quick snatch of his wrist yanked Clint off the table, dropping him into the seat next to Natasha. The group laughed when the assassin nearly fell out of the chair from the angle he was pulled at, sending a weak glare at his smirking best friend. 

“Anything else we need to be worried about?” Sam asked, and silently Steve thanked his friend for being able to stay on task. As the group started to find their spots around the table, Tony’s demeanor changed again; his ears perked up slowly as if assessing for danger or new sounds. Tony’s face stayed impassive while glancing to his phone in projected boredom, but Steve’s attention for the fluffy appendages on top of his friend’s head made him aware of Tony’s slow release of tension.  

“I’ve got it under control.” Tony didn’t look up from his phone while he lifted his wrist into the air, showing the group a watch that hadn’t donned the man’s wrist the day before. Though simple in its looks, Steve knew that his friend had changed the watch’s abilities to do more than just tell time. “JARVIS is monitoring my blood pressure, pulse, and breathing patterns at all times through this. If something changes, I’m going to know.” 

“When’d you have time to make that?” Peter asked, and Steve could see the teen’s desire to gush over the new tech by the squirming in his seat. It was hard to admit, but the only person in the room besides Tony who could probably understand the schematics of the innocuous piece of jewelry would be Peter, despite his large lapse in age. 

“When my body refused to let me sleep past six am and I woke up with bunny ears.” Was Tony’s reply, already holding out his arm for Peter to look at. The genius acted like the fawning didn’t affect him, but another set of quick twitches of the ears on Tony’s head made Steve draw his own conclusions. 

“So you didn’t go to sleep with them?” Sam asked, receiving a shrug of the shoulders.

“Could have, I was pretty out of it by the time I passed out in the lab.” 

“And when was that?”

“About three? Then I got some weird rush of energy which forced me awake and now we’re here.” 

“Are they soft?” Clint asked next, and Bucky tossed out his own answer before the man with the ears could reply.

“You could just touch them and find out yourself. You’re two chairs away from him.” The flinch that jerked through Tony’s frame was minor, and he used it to pull his arm back from Peter’s inquisition. But Steve knew Bucky’s suggestion had hit a nerve with the engineer, kicking Steve into action.

“Iron Man is still a part of this team and not a means to entertain yourselves.” The steady tone and reprimanding gaze sent around the room seemed to settle any ideas of touching Tony, but he didn’t hesitate to continue. “Unless given explicit consent, nobody is to touch his ears, possible tail, or whatever else he ends up getting. We’re focusing on how to help him, not treating him like an experiment.” 

“Couldn’t have said it better myself, Captain.” Fury’s support was instant, but wasn’t what caught Steve’s attention. 

“I can’t blame them for being curious.” A soft pressure rested against his arm, where Tony had started to lean against him. Brown eyes barely glanced up at Steve, as if to challenge him to speak up about the contact, before he looked back down at his phone. “If Bucky became Bugs, I’d probably want to yank his tail, too.”

“I’d hope that speaking with earth’s mightiest defenders, I can assume people will be able to hold back their immature urges to do so.” Fury’s order was more passive than Steve had framed his, but the point was clearly made; nobody was to touch Tony. The slumped shoulders of Clint and hidden snicker from Bucky were the only real signs of protest about the parameter, though the rest of the team seemed understanding. 

Steve could feel Tony’s bicep release the tension being held there, and the captain wondered if his friend had been worried they wouldn’t respect his space. Even if Tony tended to poke fun at each of them in jest, he was still a valued member of their assembly, and his privacy needed to be respected. But it was hard to explain that to someone whose life had always been thrust into the spotlight, willingly or not. He knew that some of that fame was brought on by Tony’s own actions, especially during his twenties, but he’d grown up since his brush with death. How long did a man have to live with the crimes of his past? For Bucky or Natasha, they’d been able to wipe out the red of their ledgers. But the public, which had watched Tony grow up from the moment he was born, refused to release their intrusive grasp. It was just another part of the future that Steve didn’t enjoy. 

“The only thing that I care about is Stark’s ability to engage in combat should we need the Avengers to assemble. If he’s out of commission, I have to contact General Rhodes. ” Fury’s concern made both ears perk up on the engineer’s head, who didn’t hesitate to answer the question presented.

“I may look like I belong on the cover of  _ Playgirl,  _ but I can still fight.”

“You gonna be able to shove those things in your helmet?” Fury asked, though a hint of a smile tugged at the edge of his lips. 

“He gets his big head in there just fine.” Bucky’s rebuttal had the group laughing, the ex-assassin giving a nod Tony’s way. “I don’t see why he can’t keep fighting with us. Tony’s still the best fella to drive the suit.”

“Yeah, let him fight. Maybe he’ll be a lucky rabbit,” Sam jested, and Peter raised his hand as if in school before giving his own perspective. 

“If Mr. Stark says he’s okay in the suit, I think we should let him try.” Peter’s words were shaky at best, though had less to do with his confidence in his statement and more with Fury’s watchful eye turning to him upon speaking. Murmurs of agreement flittered through the group, none seeming to hesitate in supporting keeping Tony on the team. Fury’s face didn’t give away his own thoughts on the matter, waiting for the others to speak their piece before turning his attention to the captain.

“It’s your call.” Steve kept his stare on the leader of SHIELD, but caught the flicker of ears turning forward to face him. Another strange movement that the leader would have to catalog for later. 

“I’ll keep an eye on him in the field. If I feel I need to pull him, I will, but for now Tony stays.” He expected the cheers of Clint and Peter, and the hi-five shared between Bucky and Sam was common nowadays. Natasha said enough with her small smile, while Fury gave a nod of support that Steve suspected meant the mysterious spy already knew Steve’s answer. 

But the one response that threw him off came from his side, a quiet rumbling noise being heard under the chatter of the other Avengers. Steve’s gaze turned to Tony, whose hand had pressed over his chest, and for a moment he worried something had malfunctioned with the arc reactor. He wanted to ask, but when he glanced back up to Tony’s face, he was surprised by the pink tint edging the other man’s cheeks. The ears, which had been so alert before Steve’s answer, were falling back to his head, though lacked the tension they’d held from before. Instead, they looked relaxed, as if pleased about something. 

“Tony?” He asked quietly, unsure of the proper response to give his teammate. The call of his name seemed to snap the genius out of the moment, Tony shaking his head twice before sending his friend a grin. It wasn’t hard to see the panic behind the smile, but before Steve could ask what had happened, Thor burst through the doors of the conference room.

“Hello, friends! I have come to listen to our great commander Fury give a rousing re-telling of our battle with the fearsome Anima.” To Thor’s credit, it only took him two blinks to notice the change in Tony’s appearance, his confusion expected. “Is it Halloween in this realm already? I didn’t get a costume yet.”

Somehow, Steve had a feeling their debriefing was going to be an all-day event.


	2. We All Need Some Bunny to Lean On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony's body changes, and Steve learns how special he is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moving right along to chapter two. Nothing to see here. Hop to it!

Through two weeks of working with Tony’s new transformation, Steve had picked up on some less than pleasant changes in the man. His sleep schedule got even more unpredictable over the days, as his need to power through normal hours his animal side would sleep left him restless and irritated when he tried to pass out in his lab. Tony hadn’t been the biggest fan of sharing items before, but the spell seemed to make his hoarding even worse. He nearly bit Bucky when the man tried to steal a french fry off his plate. Spaces were important to him as well, and Tony would refuse to sit on any spot on the couch except for the one he’d buried himself into the first night of his curse. His ears were sensitive to sound, meaning he could only stand to be near Thor or Clint for small increments, and his back seemed to ache more after each mission they completed. On occasion, Steve would spot the genius with a heating pad wrapped around his torso in the lab, though even that only helped him work for so long. 

But there were positives to his change, as well. He’d started to spar with Steve in the gym, as his sudden bursts of energy left him unable to focus until he did something to burn it off. He spent less time in the lab, hanging around with the group on occasions that they normally never caught wind of the man. Tony’s need to be around people led him to give Steve full access to his lab, encouraging him to come down and converse when Tony had to finish an upgrade or new piece of technology for Pepper (the beautiful woman had been brought to tears when first seeing Tony, reminded too fondly of the terrible Christmas gift he’d tried to give her years before). 

Steve’s hunch about Tony’s ears had been right; their movements and position tended to give much better insight into how his co-leader was feeling than the man’s verbal reports. Tony didn’t control their sway, meaning they were genuine in their showing of emotions. When Bruce praised him for helping out with dinner preparations, the billionaire's ears would flicker with pride. If Natasha turned on Tony’s favorite movie in the other room, one furry appendage would turn in interest despite Tony’s face showing no care. After Tony finally nailed the move he and Steve had practiced against the AIM bots, he’d jumped and twisted around in the air, a spectacle that Steve later learned was called a “binky”. And though Steve felt bad his friend couldn’t control himself, it was nice to get a clear window into what Tony was actually feeling being a part of the team. 

But there was a major change that Steve wasn’t sure where to place on his tally sheet; Tony’s need to be connected to Steve physically. At first, he hadn’t really noticed the way Tony pressed against him on the couch when watching  _ Star Wars _ . Cramming that many people into the living room had always been a tight fit, and Steve tended to take the spot next to Tony. But the smaller man had never cuddled  **into** him before, no matter how tired he was. And the pressing of Tony’s body against him only increased as the days went on. They were practically attached at the hip for a gala Tony was funding, and Tony fell asleep against Steve’s shoulder on two rides back from a mission. When showing signs of distress (the captain had picked up on how Tony’s ears flattened against his head when upset), Tony would drag Steve down to his lab to ‘fight’. The snippy conversation somehow ended up with Tony’s forehead pressed into Steve’s chest on the lab’s worn out couch, only seeming to calm when mirroring the soldier’s steady breathing pattern. 

At first, he’d thought the behavior happened with other people, passing it off as a bunny’s need of comfort. An article JARVIS suggested reading (while Steve was stuck under Tony’s sleeping form on the lab sofa) had informed the man that bunnies felt safest when being cuddled in warm spaces. And though he knew his body ran warmer than some of their teammates, he wasn’t the only source of heat. Besides Bucky also being a super soldier, Dr. Banner’s gamma radiation and Thor’s affiliation with lightning had caused both of them to send off waves of warmth. So though he’d never caught Tony trying to snuggle with anyone else (a twitch in his heart at the thought was quickly ignored), the leader assumed that it simply happened when he wasn’t around. 

But that idea had been thrown out the window when Steve went with Sam and Bucky on a two-day mission out of the country. Tony had acted like the situation wasn’t an issue, complaining of Steve ‘distracting’ him from his projects. Being the good leader he was, Steve kept in contact with Natasha, who’d mentioned the increase in Tony’s irritability. When the captain asked her the last time she’d comforted the man, he learned the truth; Tony refused to let anyone in the tower touch him. He’d sit by Bruce while waiting for dinner or keep Wanda company when neither could sleep, but Tony flinched away at Thor’s arm around his shoulder and practically jumped over the couch when Natasha offered to share her blanket. 

When he’d come home, he’d been covered in blood and dirt that he’d been unable to wash off yet. Tony hadn’t hesitated to drag him down to his lab, barking insults about Clint’s inability to make frozen pizza while pushing Steve to the couch. Even when the soldier protested about needing to shower, Tony ignored him, pressing his cheek into the shoulder that had sat in mud for over an hour during their stakeout. Steve knew he didn’t smell good, and it made him flush to know Tony was so close to his sweaty body. Yet what could have been prime real estate for his snarky friend to use to tease him (“what, they didn’t have showers in the 30s?”), Tony didn’t bite, seeming more content to press against Steve’s side and ramble about infomercials he’d watched with Wanda at four am. They’d stayed like that for nearly an hour before the grumpy genius allowed Steve to sneak away to decontaminate himself. And though he knew Tony probably hated their softer moments together, Steve couldn’t put the phenomenon on the con side of the transformation. 

But Steve’s tally sheet took a back seat when sharing a conversation with Dr. Banner over lunch.

“You found someone to reverse it?” Steve blinked at the news, Bruce taking a bite of his fruit bowl before giving a soft nod. 

“I ran some tests on Tony’s bloodwork, and I’ve completely ruled out any sort of chemical radiation or serum like you and I. Even though Tony doesn’t want to admit it, it’s magic.” Bruce’s uneasy smile showed that he’d already informed their teammate about the news, and he’d taken it as well as anyone could have expected. It explained why, despite knowing Tony was awake, he’d yet to seek Steve out for physical contact that day. The captain bit back a smile at the thought of Tony grumbling in his lab, ears twitching each time he slammed a tool too hard onto the workbench. If Tony didn’t emerge from the lab before dinner, Steve would seek him out, but for now, he focused on the conversation being shared with Bruce. 

“Did Wanda get anything useful from Anima?” 

“Other than asking how her...little bunny is doing, no.” Bruce shivered at the name before moving to place his bowl into the sink. Steve’s hand dropped the fork he’d been holding before he accidentally bent it in frustration. The villainess had given Tony the nickname on Wanda’s first trip to SHIELD, finding far too much interest in Tony’s ‘condition’. Steve had wanted to take a crack at interrogating her, but Fury had put a quick stop to that request.

_ “We all know Stark is a soft spot for you, and we don’t need a national icon in the news for killing a prisoner.”  _

Steve had only agreed after Fury promised she’d never get to see Tony again. 

“But you said you found someone?” 

“Well,” Bruce started, hands cupped around the steaming mug of tea he’d made. “Dr. Strange has been reaching out to some of his colleagues to see if anyone has a specialty in transformation magic. There’s one, not on this planet, so he and Wanda left this morning to go speak with her. The woman said she’d be willing to show Wanda how to reverse the black magic with her own powers, but it’d take time to get there and teach her each specific hand movement. One wrong finger alignment could do more damage than good.” 

“How long do we think it’ll take?” 

“About two weeks, give or take a few days. Dr. Strange will let me know how the progress goes, and I’ll keep you updated.” Bruce’s eyes glanced to the clock before he pushed away from the counter he’d been resting against. “Actually, he should be checking in soon, so I should get down to my lab.” 

“Of course. Thank you, doctor.” A polite exchange of nods between the two ended the conversation, leaving Steve alone in the spacious kitchen. He collected a sigh in his chest before moving back to his lunch, his mind drifting to the woman in custody. The malicious smile that she had given Tony after the bite hadn’t left his mind, dragging his lips into a frown over his bite of food. Though the ears were annoying at times, they hadn’t really inflicted any pain. And Tony’s ability to still be Iron Man had meant he was just as untouchable as he’d been before crossing paths with Anima. But she had spoken in a way that still had Steve on the edge of his seat. She’d been close enough to hit Tony with a direct blast of magic if she’d wanted to, yet she chose to have her bunny bite him. Why? Had the other shoe really dropped yet? Or was there another trick waiting up the evil woman’s sleeve?  

“Captain Rogers.” JARVIS’s voice made Steve jump in his seat, glancing up at the ceiling out of habit. He knew that the AI’s programming was throughout the walls and floors as well, but all his instincts made him glance up at the british voice. “I’m sorry to bother you, but Sir is in need of your immediate assistance.” 

“He finally willing to talk about his curse?” Steve asked, already moving in the direction of the lab. “I’m surprised he let you contact me.”

“I’m following protocols set up in the event that his vitals exceed predetermined levels of safety.” The words sent a rush of ice through Steve’s veins, his languid pace quickly bumped up into a fast jog through the tower. 

“What do you mean?”

“Sir’s body is in extreme distress, and you’re his emergency contact.” Steve ignored the elevator, knowing his ability to jump down flights of stairs would make him go faster. He’d barely been able to wait for JARVIS to open the door of the lab without breaking through it, his eyes searching for the man in question. His stomach lurched when seeing Tony on the floor, curled up into himself and dry-heaving against the tile. 

“Tony!” Limbs shuddered when Steve dropped down next to him, pressing his large palm against the sweaty forehead of the engineer. He didn’t have a fever, but the shaking and painful whimpers leaving Tony’s mouth proved that he was in obvious pain. Another helpless wretch produced a sharp jerk of the engineer’s body, but nothing came out, and Tony’s arms only tightened against his stomach. “Tony, can you hear me?” 

“Yeah, I…” Ears that had perked up at Steve’s arrival fell back against his hair, Tony’s voice laced with pain as he shook his head. The whine he released was high pitched and desperate, like an animal being torn apart by claws and teeth. “Feel like I’m gonna throw up but, I...I  **can’t** . I…stomach hurts, Cap.”

“Did you forget to eat?” He’d never seen Tony collapse like this from missing a meal, but he’d been known to make himself nauseous when pushing himself too long without nutrients. Tony’s head rolled against the epoxy floor when he shook it again, then curled tighter against himself with a gasp. 

“Ju-Just had a burger.” The favorite food of the genius shouldn’t have affected him at all, as he tended to grab a greasy bag of take-out once a week. Steve’s mind tried to fill in the missing pieces of information, speculating poison or uncooked food. But Tony would have taken the proper precautions, and it was unlikely he’d get sick from undercooked beef. He looked back to the ears pinned to Tony’s head, which had started to quiver from the intense pain. And though he knew little about rabbits, one thought popped into his head. 

“JARVIS.”

“Yes?” Steve took his time moving his arms under Tony’s legs and shoulders, lifting the whimpering man against his chest.

“I think bunnies are herbivores. Can you search what happens when rabbits eat meat?” He took slow steps toward the couch, trying not to jostle the trembling mess in his arms. 

“My sources indicate that a  rabbit’s digestive system is not set up to digest anything but plants. Their lack of a GI tract equipt to digest any meat can make them seriously ill. Rabbits are also unable to regurgitate their food, and cannot vomit to relieve stomach distress.” 

“Fuck.” Steve heard the word forced through Tony’s gritted teeth, feeling the sweaty forehead pressed against his collarbone once the two eased down onto the sofa. The way Tony’s chest struggled to pump air instantly grabbed Steve’s attention, loosening his arms to allow more space for his gasps. “Are you saying I’m  **stuck** like this?”

“Tony, it’s okay, we just have to wait for it to pass through you,” Steve answered, disliking how shaky the other man’s breathing had become.

“My organs are failing. Fuck, my...no way.” Tony didn’t seem to take in Steve’s words, eyes unfocused and hands clutching his stomach in jerky movements. 

“Captain, my sensors are showing Sir’s pain is inducing anxiety levels high enough to affect his heart rate and blood pressure.” 

“How high?” Steve asked, unsure of how to handle the man now collapsed against his chest. 

“Dangerous levels even for a healthy, fully functional heart.” JARVIS shouldn’t have been able to sound concerned over the information, but the AI was a complex system that Steve didn’t try to understand under normal circumstances. He was focused on the information being given to him; the fact that Tony’s heart was weakened and beaten up from everything he had survived through meant that he was at an even higher risk. 

“But if I bring down his anxiety, it’ll all calm down, right?”

“Sources indicate relaxing his body will de-escalate his heartbeat and help his body pass the food easier.” Steve nodded sharply at the answer, taking a slow breath to try and focus his own racing mind. Steadying himself, Steve placed a hand onto the engineer’s spine, the other cupping the back of his head. 

“I need you to focus on me.” Swallowing when the genius flinched, Steve softened his voice, hoping to lose the demanding edge he’d turned into an art. “Tony, let me help you.” 

“How? Last time I checked, I was the genius and you were the Ken doll.” The snap to his voice was rattled with panic, and Steve’s hand unconsciously moved down the back that he’d cradled in his palm. 

“Trust me.” Tony’s muscles fluttered under the touch, but relaxed instantly when the captain repeated the motion. Steve shifted to lean further back on the sofa, and Tony followed without command, leaning his body into the sturdy chest of the super soldier. He curled into himself again, practically huddled on Steve’s lap, refusing to lift his head from the shoulder it’d rested on. “There you go, nice and slow.” 

Remembering the method his own mother used when his illnesses would flare up, Steve moved his hand into Tony’s hair, running through the sweaty strands with calculated ease. The motion left the room in silence for only a moment, before the rumble of a purr vibrated the arc reactor against Steve’s chest. Pleased with the slowing of breathing and trembles, Steve continued to stroke the head under his own, wincing whenever he felt Tony’s body flinch with his stomach pain. The instances started to dwindle away, Steve doing his best to soothe the other man. But when his fingertips bumped into something much fluffier than Tony’s hair, he hesitated. His first instinct was to pull away, remembering the promise he’d made in the conference room. Even if his curiosity was buzzing through every cell in his body, he knew he couldn’t press further in his touch. 

Then Tony’s purring turned into a happy yip, his chin rubbing insistently against Steve’s collar. 

“Tony?” 

“God that was embarrassing,” Tony mumbled into the pale skin, hands now clutching at the bottom of his own shirt in tight fists. “But I really need you to do that again.” 

“W-what?” Steve’s stuttered was filled with confusion, Tony shaking his head before squirming in Steve’s lap. The strange behavior continued despite Steve’s hitch in his breath, unsure of the weird buzz of heat moving through his stomach when Tony’s teeth nipped into his neck. A low whine of pain finally kicked the captain into motion again. Another pleased rumble exploded through the air when Steve’s fingers massaged the base of the ear now shuddering under his soft touch. It fluttered at the sensation, but never pulled away, Tony nearly headbutting into the strokes. The fluff of the ears was soft, fur easily parting around Steve’s fingertips as he stroked the new appendages. Tony’s body shivered into the touches, but he didn’t speak, the only noises spilling out of his lips being a mixture of sighs and happy hums. Comfortable with the responses, Steve started to stroke his back again, allowing Tony to fully settle against his thighs and relax. Within moments any trace of discomfort had vanished, and Steve was surprised when Tony buried his face into the crook of Steve’s neck and fell asleep. His fingers slowed but never stopped their attention, lips a quiet murmur against the top of Tony’s head.

“JARVIS?” 

“Yes, Captain Rogers?” 

“I need you to relay this new information to Dr. Banner; maybe we can get Dr. Strange on a video call and have the two of them do a check-in with Tony in the morning.” Steve moved his hand to the other ear as he spoke, giving it the same gentle treatment despite his friend quietly sleeping on his chest.  

“I’ve sent a request in with Dr. Banner, and will report back when he responds.”

“Thanks.” 

“I think I should be thanking you, Captain.” Steve’s head tilted to the side to glance at the ceiling, keeping his cheek pressed to the top of Tony’s head. He knew what the AI was referring to, and he had to bite back a smile when feeling warmth tingle through his chest. 

“Anytime.” 

~**~

Tony had avoided him the next two days, though Steve had expected it once the engineer realized Steve had spoken to the two doctors about the incident with the cheeseburger. When passing Bruce and Tony heading down to the scientist’s lab, the hiss of ‘traitor’ had made Steve laugh despite the glare Tony sent his way. The results of the check-up were sent to the captain by Dr. Banner when they’d finished, and Tony had scampered into hiding in his own lab. The changes in his teammate’s body meant that meats of any kind were off the table. He’d also been forbidden from eating dairy, chocolate, bread, and treats with high levels of carbohydrates in them. Coffee had been tossed into the mix as well, but Tony refused to part with his caffeinated beverage, and the doctors only relented when promised it’d be drunk black. JARVIS had put in a new order of food for Tony’s sensitive stomach, mostly consisting of fruits and vegetables that were bunny-friendly. 

It was on the third day of Tony’s avoidance that Steve found him on the couch of the community living room, filing his nails while watching something that required english subtitles. The coffee table in front of the man had a platter of carrot sticks, peppers, and broccoli, and the captain was surprised to see that most of it had been eaten. He hadn’t been sure that Tony could fully commit to the change of lifestyle, and not hearing any alerts from JARVIS made Steve think his friend had changed his emergency contact. Seeing the attempt of staying on his new diet eased Steve’s own nerves, pushing him to move across the open floor and take a seat in the living room. No sooner had he settled on the other side of the couch, a carrot was thrown at his head, Steve’s quick reflexes easily catching the orange treat. 

“Thanks.” He took a large bite of the vegetable, smiling when Tony huffed and tossed the nail file onto the coffee table. From how worn down the tool was, Steve could tell that his friend had been over using the item, most of the corundum gone. “New side effect?”

“Apparently, rabbit nails grow far faster than humans. Who would have thought?” Tony’s arms crossed over his chest as he leaned back on his corner of the couch, scowling despite the ears perking up on his head. “And they get very irritated when their teammates rat them out and get them sent to veggie prison.” 

“I thought you could eat fruits, too?” the glare Steve received made him put his hands up in surrender, though he didn’t back down from the crux of the matter. “It had to be done. You nearly died because we didn’t know about your new digestive track.”

“I would have been fine.” Both men knew it wasn’t true, and Tony glared down at his lap before snagging a piece of pepper to distract himself. 

“When I found you on the floor, everything stopped for me.” Steve hadn’t planned on admitting that fact, but the words slipped out before he could think twice about it. Tony’s head jerked up instantly, eyes wide with shock and ears fully turned toward Steve. Trying not to reveal his panic, the soldier steeled himself, giving a strong nod to show he wasn’t taking back the statement. “It’s one thing to see a teammate go down in a fight. But walking in and seeing you lying like that in your lab...it was like staring down the Chituri again without my shield or backup. I didn’t know how to help you.”

“Because you always have to help me, right? Get me out of my own way before I do something stupid like inherit bunny ears and gain an anxiety complex that would make the Cowardly Lion seem relaxed.” Tony’s body tensed while he snapped out his comment, as if ready to spring off the couch. Steve shook his head quickly, making the genius grit his teeth and force his jittery legs still. “Ever since this stupid thing started, people are losing their minds. I know Natasha’s checking in on me daily, and Bruce has more blood samples than the Red Cross. Pepper won’t let me near a board meeting, and Rhodey’s offered to come home three times. Hell, even Bucky’s been going easy on me in  _ Mario Kart _ , which...okay, that one’s not bad.”

“Tony-”

“Why can’t people just let me figure it out on my own?” Legs pulled up to press against Tony’s chest, arms wrapping him into a ball while ears flopped down in a sign of defeat. “I’ve faced gods, killer robots, even you and somehow survived. Why is everyone so obsessed with trying to fix me?”

“Not you.” The correction interrupted the rambling of Tony, and Steve waited for the brown eyes to focus on him again to make his point clear. “We’re not trying to fix you as a person, Tony.  We like who you are-”

“Tell Clint that when I hide the remote from him,” Tony quipped back, though lost some of his snark when Steve rolled his eyes and continued. 

“But we don’t know what’s happening to your body or what the long-term problems will be going forward. Sure, Wanda and Dr. Strange are doing their best to learn how to reverse it, but it could be days before they come back. And even then there’s no guarantee it’ll work.” Taking a chance, Steve scooted closer to the other man on the couch, watching for any signs of discomfort or hostility. Though Tony’s eyes remained guarded, his shoulders relaxed without thought, his head unconsciously leaning forward in a familiar pose. Steve didn’t try to sneak his hand up, showing his slow movements to Tony when reaching forward to run his fingers along the base of his teammate’s ear. 

“No fair,” Tony mumbled weakly, eyes fluttering closed while pushing into the soldier’s touch. The tension gripping Steve’s heart released instantly, making it easier for the Captain to breath while massaging the furry base. 

“We just want to help you because you’re our friend; it’s got nothing to do with fixing you. If this was Bruce or Sam, would you be okay with just sitting by and watching it happen?” The question was paired with a slow rub on the back of the velvety ear, Tony’s body giving a shiver before he relaxed completely into the touch.

“Course not, I’m a billionaire genius with too much time on his hands.” 

“You’re also a good friend with a big heart. Might have something to do with it,” Steve supplied quietly, and nearly stopped his mini massage when Tony sent him a glare.  

“God I hate you.” Before Steve could respond, Tony was pulling him in, a flurry of quick movements ending with Tony curled in his lap again. A hand on his wrist pushed the frozen fingers back to their spot on Tony’s ear, only releasing the hold when Steve re-started his circular motions. A soft sigh was pressed into the cloth over Steve’s shoulder, Tony’s voice muffled. “I’ve wasted all this time avoiding you, so you owe me.”

“Um, sure. Whatever you need.” Steve’s head leaned to the side when a persistent nose mosied across his collarbone to his neck, shivers erupting through his skin at the intimate contact. Tony’s squirming was more insistent over Steve’s lap this time around, as if seeking to huddle closer to the warmth the super soldier’s body provided. Breathing through his nose to ignore the slight brush of pressure against his groin, Steve closed his eyes, focusing on the slow rubbing of the ear happily twitching against his palm. But it was hard to pretend the soft caresses of Tony’s lips during his neck nuzzling weren’t sending hot spikes of desire through the captain’s body. 

“Why do you smell so much stronger than before? Did you change your body wash or something?” Tony’s grumbling paired with his purr vibrated against Steve’s pulse, and the sensation made it hard not to imagine the feeling pressing to other places on his body. He was used to Tony being alluring without meaning to, but this interaction felt different than the brushes of flirting they’d done before. It felt intimate, like Tony  **wanted** to rile Steve up, despite the soldier's best attempts to keep from rocking up into the soft thighs sitting across his lap.  

“Rabbits scent others in their group as a sign of affection. It’s picked up pretty quickly because of their Jacobson Organ.” The information was easy to toss out when his head was cloudy with arousal, missing the pause in the conversation until Tony pulled away from his neck. Steve had to bite back a noise of his own, which made him flush when realizing how much he enjoyed their close proximity. 

“How did you know that?”

“Know what?” 

“About the...scent thing.” Blinking once to push the final bit of haze out of his mind, Steve ran the conversation back before he gave the inquiring genius a sheepish smile. 

“After the situation in the lab, I asked JARVIS look up what type of bunny had bit you. The he compile some resources for me to read about their health risks and temperaments. He bought me a book on rabbits that I’ve been skimming through since your visit with Dr. Banner.” 

“You spent time researching me?” The surprise and happy flickering of the ears against Steve’s fingers proved that the question wasn’t an accusation, and Steve tried not to show his embarrassment as he nodded and glanced away.

“It’s my job as the team leader to know as much as I can about every one of my teammates. If I didn’t do my research and something happened to you, it’d be on my shoulders. I told Fury I’d take care of you, and I meant it.” 

“Take care of me, huh?” The purr that lined the sentence inflamed the soldier's face, but Tony seemed more interested in reclaiming his spot against Steve’s chest than teasing him further. “Alright, bunny whisperer, what kind of rabbit am I? I wanna know everything.” 

And that was how the two spent their night, Tony perched up on Steve’s lap while the other stroked his ears and gave every detail he could about the Rex bunny. 


	3. Some Bunny To Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve takes a chance, with a little help from an unsuspected ally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ending every _bunny has been waiting for. Hahaha...I'm a mess. Someone help me._

Steve had been sure that after their “cuddle fest” (as Bucky had titled it after discovering the two curled up and sleeping on the couch), Tony would step back and let his teammates take the lead in dangerous situations. He’d made sure to inform Tony of a bunny’s heightened heartbeat, and how even resting it could be dangerous for a human body. The jumps in anxiety or adrenaline could do serious damage to Tony’s heart, and could force him into cardiac arrest. Throughout the explanation, Tony had stayed quiet, but was attentive to the information being given to him. And when he’d felt the smaller man had bury into his chest before sleep claimed both of them, Steve was sure it was a sign of trust. 

But if anything, Tony had been more active on the battlefield. The risks he took throughout the following days were tricky at best, and unpredictable at worst. He was aggressive and lacked some of the sarcastic ease he was known for when in combat, and the team had been split on whether the change was welcomed or worrisome. Nobody was put in danger during Tony’s new tactics, and the outcomes had all generally turned out well. Plus, telling Fury would mean pulling Tony off the team, which was not an option for the tight-knit group. And it wasn’t just because of his skill running the Iron Man armor. 

The recent days with Tony had shed light on one giant change in the engineer’s personality; he couldn’t stand being alone for more than a few hours. If he wasn’t dragging Steve to his lab or through the tower, he was investigating Bruce’s new project or solving crossword puzzles with Bucky. Without fail each night, he’d convince at least one Avenger to watch a movie or play a game in the living room so he could fall asleep with someone in his presence. Steve was still the only person he seemed comfortable with touching him, forcing the soldier to carry the snoozing bunny back to his room once passing out on the couch. Long bouts of isolation left Tony tense and anxious, and it took Steve rubbing the man’s ears to get him out of his terrible headspace. And though Steve didn’t mind calming his friend down, he’d noticed the space between each massage was decreasing by the day.

And then Clint happened. 

“Nice shot, man of iron!” Thor’s compliment rung loud in the communicators as Steve smashed his fist through another AIM bot, pulling it back to watch the heap of metal crash to the floor. His cowl stuck to his face from the sweat, but he ignored it to jump onto a car left parked in the street, gaining enough air to sever a head off a bot trying to creep behind Bucky. 

“Thanks, punk.” Steve rolled his eyes at the side smirk his friend gave him before charging forward with another attack, barely catching Clint’s voice in his ear. 

“Heads up, tin can!” Steve heard the explosion from a distance, knowing that Clint had used one of his arrows to detonate an oncoming enemy. But his attention wasn’t caught until a panicked gasp far too familiar crept through the comms, Steve barely finishing off the robot he was facing before pressing onto the earpiece. 

“Iron Man, report. Were you hit by the blast?” Steve’s eyes turned to the sky, hoping to see the armor fly by with a witty comment or insult. Thor continued to use his hammer to lift into the air while Hulk lept from building to building, yet Tony was nowhere in sight. And what was worse, the man wasn’t responding to his call. Hating the fear that latched onto his stomach, Steve swore under his breath and spoke into the communicator again. “Can someone get eyes on Iron Man and report back?” 

“I think I saw him dropping down,” Sam answered, the wind of his suit catching static. “If Thor can handle the skies, I’ll go take a look.” 

“I’ve got your back, Falcon! Check on our friend while I show these bots what an Avenger can truly do.” Thor took the task on like a challenge, and another large bolt of lightning proved that he was the god for the job. 

“I’m on my way, too!” Spiderman’s voice proved that Steve wasn’t the only one worried about the radio silence, and he left the mission in his two teammate’s capable hands when turning his attention back to the fight before them. It wasn’t hard to take down the remaining groups of robots with Bucky, their fighting style syncing up with little communication. Bucky knew where to be and how to get there without getting in Steve’s way, while the captain understood the moments he’d have to throw a well-timed punch to keep his old friend safe. The last enemy was ripped in half by the two men, both glancing up to send grins that they’d shared with one another since childhood. 

“Just like old times.” Bucky’s enjoyment at the observation made something shift inside Steve, thankful for the second chance both men had gotten. Their friendship hadn’t been an easy path, but it was worth every drop of blood shed to be where they were today. Slowly, Steve moved to pick up the shield he’d tossed in the fray, resuming his leadership duties. 

“Bucky and I finished cleaning up on the west side. Is the east side clear?” 

“Crystal. Nat and I just got rid of the ones trying to escape to the subway. We’re on our way back to the meeting point.” Clint’s response was followed by Thor’s battle cry and the happiest noise Steve had ever heard from the hulk. 

“Hulk is having a grand time tossing foes at me to smash from long distances. We are well in the south.” 

“Just...don’t break Manhattan again.” Steve’s warning got an arched eyebrow from Bucky, but the captain didn’t have time to explain when a third voice cut in. 

“Cap, we’ve got a bit of a problem over here.” Sam’s voice was level, but the facade of calm was quickly broken by Peter’s panicked voice in the background. 

“Mr. Stark! Mr. Stark, it’s okay, but you’ve gotta breathe and let us get you outta the-Mr. Stark!”

“JARVIS says his heartbeat is out of control, but he’s locked himself into the suit and isn’t responding to us,” the pararescue explained, Steve’s feet moving into a sprint without a second thought. 

“JARVIS, I need a location.”  He’d apologize later to the AI for his rude demand, though the computer didn’t hesitate to give an answer. 

“Sir is currently under an overpass that you’ll encounter three streets to your left. If you cross on 34th, you’ll reach him in four minutes and eighteen seconds.”

“Vitals?” 

“Sir’s heart rate is 122 beats per minute. With his history, I’m afraid any higher and he will fall into cardiac arrest.” The number was troublesome, and only reminded him of the differences between humans and rabbits. By nature, a bunny’s heart ran faster than a human, easily pumping at 150 beats per minute without concern. But Tony was still part human, and the elevated heartbeat could have accounted for some of the anxiety he had been feeling as of late. Though his body was trying to take on characteristics of his newly acquired side, his heart wouldn’t be able to sustain that level for too long, and Steve didn’t want to imagine the worst case scenario. 

“Can you patch me into Tony’s private line?” Steve huffed out, jumping across a car and nearly dropping into a pile of robot parts. He tucked his shoulder and rolled to avoid them, popping up instantly to resume his run. He pushed his legs even harder than before, ignoring the slight groan of protest to concentrate on what mattered. 

“Steve?” The shaky voice lacked everything that Steve knew Tony prided himself on. Hating himself for not seeing the signs sooner, Steve tore down a street in search of the overpass, trying to keep his voice steady when he responded. 

“Yeah, its me. You wanna tell me why you’re not letting Sam and Peter check in on you?” 

“Won’t-well, more I can’t cause my- Jesus christ- you know fight or flight or freeze? Guess which one I’m in? Give you one-” another sharp gasp of breath cut off the engineer’s sentence, and Steve nearly took out a street sign when swinging around the corner with too much speed. 

“You’re going to be okay. Tell me what made you lock down the suit.” 

“Clint’s arrow- **my** arrows that I made, dammit-it just blew up too close and I needed cover or something. Then Falcon just  **flew** over me, and my instincts went haywire. This is, I’m just…” A pause that felt like an eternity passed by, though Steve was sure it was only a moment before more of Tony’s words rushed out. “I can’t open the suit because my body won’t move, and I can’t breathe...I think I’m going to suffocate in here.”

“I won’t let you die.” Steve’s vault over a moving car was reckless, but he didn’t care as he reached the intersection that JARVIS had located for him. “What do you need?” 

“I don’t-I’m not sure how to-.” 

“Tony, you’ve got to trust me here. Can you do that?” 

“Of course.” Steve grabbed the edge of the bridge connected to the overpass, taking one glance to the far jump below him before speaking again. 

“Whatever your instincts are telling you, I’ll get it, but we don’t have enough time for pride. Just tell me what you need.” 

“Fuck...fuck it, I need you. I need you right now!”  The words were blurted out without hesitation, and Steve kept replying the sentence in his head when pushing himself over the edge. A broken leg or wrist would heal in a week, but any more time wasted in trying to get down safely could result in Tony’s heart giving out. A twinge of pain shot through his knee when he dropped, but he ignored it to turn back and face the trio all under the overpass. The iron man suit was huddled as far away from Falcon and Spiderman as it could be, as if preparing to jolt at any moment.  

“I’ve got you.” Worn out and ready to collapse from his previous battle and sprint, Steve tried to keep steady on his feet before glancing back to Sam and Peter. “I need you to get to Nat and tell her she’s in charge for right now. Clean up is first priority, but be discreet when going back to regroup. Do not let any media or news coverage come near this overpass. Tony and I will meet up with you guys at the tower.” 

“Uh huh.” There was a knowing look in Sam’s eye when he arched his brow, but he didn’t say more before he turned to open his wings again. “Let’s go, Spiderdork.” 

“That’s not even close, Mr. Wilson!” Peter gave a hesitated glance to Tony before he turned to Steve, eyes wide and full of concern despite wearing his mask. “Mr. Stark’s gonna be okay, right?”

“He’ll be letting you kick his butt in chess in no time.” The promise in his voice seemed to sooth the young avenger, who gave a nod before jumping off after Sam. Steve only watched them leave for a moment before turning back to the suit, yanking his cowl off to drop it onto the ground. “It’s just me and you now, Tony. You think you can pull back the helmet?” 

“Why?” The defenses were back up, as if exposing himself before had been a mistake. Hoping not to lose their moment of honest communication, Steve yanked his glove off his hand with his teeth, holding the palm to face his armored ally. 

“Cause you’re safe with me.” He kept patient after the words dropped between them, only releasing a relieved breath when the faceplate popped open. Cheeks flushed and pupils dilated, Tony looked worse for the wear, and Steve had to keep his smile soft to hide his grimace. “You think you can get out of the suit, too?”

“Can’t.” The refusal was quick, and Steve thought over his next course of action before yanking off his second glove, dropping both on the grass next to the dead end street. Tony had picked a good area to isolate himself, the underpass too narrow for cars to get down. Slowly Steve dropped down to sit on the patch of softer ground, knowing from how attentive Tony’s ears were that all of the engineer’s attention was focused on his movements. He lifted one hand between the two of them, letting the palm face the sky in a sign of offering. 

“Then I’ll wait here until you can.” And he meant it, too. Even if just sitting in the grass by his panicking friend helped bring down his heartbeat a little, he was willing to do it. He didn’t look at Tony, not wanting to make him feel pressured or re-elevate his heart rate. Instead, he stared up at the sky, trying to think back to the last time he’d done something like this. Was it before the ice? Before he became Captain America? Maybe when he’d still been in elementary school, and learned why his dad never came home after joining the army. It’d been too long ago to remember. The warm sun felt good on his face, and despite the chaos of his life, the moment eased some of his tension away. 

“I hate magic.” Tony’s angry words didn’t pull Steve from his relaxed aura, though he did turn his attention back to the man in the suit.

“I know.” 

“And I hate this weak excuse of a heart.” Steve bit back the need to scold Tony for his negative words, knowing that it wasn’t true. If he was asked, the captain wouldn’t hesitate to claim the engineer had one of the biggest hearts of them all, and had no reason to look down on himself. He was fine the way he was, and those who thought differently had never had the opportunity of meeting the real Tony. But he knew that any praise would be rejected, so Steve kept quiet while watching his friend. 

A rush of relief passed through him when he heard a familiar sound, the suit retracting back to allow Tony to crawl out of it. In the next moment, his lap was occupied, a nose buried into the exposed neck of the soldier. Used to the common scene, Steve smiled, instantly moving to massage the ears that were torn between twitching from anxiety and softening in comfort. Like ice cream on a summer day, Tony melted into him, and simply sighed at the relaxing stimulation. Minutes or hours went by like that, Steve refusing to slow his human form of grooming his nervous teammate. And really, it wasn’t much different than stroking someone’s hair to comfort them. Rabbits needed physical affection just like Bucky or Wanda, or even Steve. He’d heard stories of people getting touch-starved, not being hugged or cared for resulting in health problems. So he didn’t mind holding Tony until the shivers stopped, and his communicator chirped when JARVIS reported all vitals were back to safe levels. 

Then, Tony shifted. Steve tried not to stiffen when legs wrapped around his hips, one hand clutching the back of Steve’s tight uniform. Instantly his body got hot at the contact, and he mentally scolded himself. Tony needed  **comfort** . He needed to feel safe. Even now, through his Kevlar suit, he could feel the heavy beats of the other man’s heart pounding between their chests. Tony kept moving, chin and nose rubbing on any piece of skin available for Tony to touch. Steve knew it was just the animal instincts inside his friend, that the free hand pawing at his collar had nothing to do with Tony’s actual desires. He needed skin-to-skin contact; bunnies used this tactic with others in their colony to release stress. He expected it, reading up on it whenever he had time to learn more about Tony’s other half. 

But the hips that rocked down into his when Steve’s fingers stroked up Tony’s ear made his own arousal respond. Logically, Steve knew Tony had always purred and squirmed whenever he groomed the engineer. But they’d never been pressed so close together before, and now the captain could feel Tony’s dick hardening against his lower stomach. Strong thighs clutched onto Steve’s waist at a particular stroke around the base of the ear, and another grind against his lap had Steve’s breath catching in his chest. Trying to focus on calming his teammate down, Steve’s other hand slid down Tony’s back, caressing the bumps of the spine hidden beneath the flimsy catsuit. When getting close to his tailbone, a purr that edged on a pleased growl pressed close to his ear, and the roll of Tony’s hips was purposeful. Thankful that his armor came with insulation for protection, Steve still had to shove a groan back down when feeling his dick swell up against the padding.

“You smell really good.” The moan that came out after the admission had Steve’s mind momentarily blanking, unsure why the statement sent such heat running through him. 

“I told you before, it-”

“Better than then.” Tony cut him off, chirping in happiness when the collar finally gave way to the engineer’s yanking. The exposed collarbone was nuzzled by Tony, and Steve jolted when a tongue traced the sensitive skin eagerly. “Like apples and pine.”  

“That’s...good.” The need to shift up into the languid stroke of Tony’s tongue when he moved toward his neck was nearly too strong for Steve to ignore, the hand on the teammate’s back fisting with unknown tension. Hoping to keep his head from fully turning to mush, Steve tried to think back to the scene that he had first stumbled on when arriving at the underpass. “Why wouldn’t you let Peter help you out of the suit?” 

“What?” All motioned stopped on Tony’s end, and Steve blinked once at the abruptness of it. 

“Peter? He was with Sam, and could have helped you with the suit.” 

“You wanted him to?” 

“Yes?” A tensing of the muscles against him gave Steve a warning that his response was a mistake, a sharp bite against his collarbone making the man hiss in pain. “Ouch, why did you-”

“Why would you want him to touch me?” Tony snapped back instantly, the stiff back refusing to relax even when Steve ran his hand down it.  

“Captain.” JARVIS’s voice came back into Steve’s ear. “His vitals are rising again.” 

“Hey,” Steve started slowly, hoping his lowered voice would help keep his teammate calm. “I’m happy that I’m the one you trust enough to rely on.”

“You don’t mean that.” 

“I do, Tony, I really do. I want you to rely on me more, even when this is over.” 

“Then why even  **bring** up Pete?” Tony buried his face ever deeper into the soldier's shoulder, hips sparking to life despite the frown in his voice. Steve’s fingers flexed against the strong back, hating how quickly his body reacted to the motion.

“I just...I know you’re close to the kid. Thought he’d make you feel better.” 

“You make me feel better.” A slow roll of Tony’s body sparked something in Steve’s mind, though it was hard to fully process when the lowered voice brushed against his ear. “You **always** make me feel better, Cap.” 

“Tony, that’s…” Then the elusive information appeared like a light in the dead of night. Rabbits, by nature, had high libidos. It was hard for them to control themselves because of it, and enjoyed random sessions of heat with little rhyme or reason. They still had a mating season, late February, but that only mattered to those who had specific mates. If he was being honest, none of them completely understood how Tony’s hormones would change with the new alterations to his body. The magic could tempt the genius to sleep with anyone, and maybe Steve just happened to be the person Tony felt safe with. It was a bitter pain to swallow when realizing how badly he wanted the desire to be for him, but his own emotions needed to be shelved until after he got back to safety. 

“Let me make you feel better, too.” Lips caressed the bitten area as an apology, tongue coming out to sooth the tender skin. Steve shook his head to escape the pleasurable haze, effectively dislodging the connection between his neck and Tony’s mouth in the process. Tony pulled back at the gesture with a scowl, and Steve took the moment to glance back to the Iron Man suit left a few feet away. 

“We should get you back to the tower and let JARVIS to do a scan on you. Maybe contact Dr. Banner and see if any of your cell counts have mutated or if you’re body’s experiencing a...change.” It sounded lame as soon as it came out, but Steve tried to keep a straight face when he suggested his way out of the situation. Tony’s eyes refocused in an instant, and the mix of shock and rejection proved that Steve’s suggestion was not being taken in a positive light. 

“Because you would never-right, of course, Man with the plan.” The catchphrase seemed wrong when Tony shoved it between them, like a steel wall of separation. In a second the engineer was out of his lap, Steve unsure how to get back the calm atmosphere between the two when he pushed to his own feet. Tony’s face was still flushed, and despite how he tried to present himself, Steve could tell that something is still off with his teammate. Tony didn’t meet his eyes again when stumbling over to the suit, as if it would protect him from the threat he was suddenly aware of. It left an ache in Steve’s stomach when he realized he was the one who caused the rapid retreat. “JARVIS, bring me home.”

“Tony, we-”

“I’m fine. Now, JARVIS.” The closing of the faceplate cut Steve off, and then the suit was in the air, already flying in the direction of the tower. It left Steve feeling helpless, being unable to follow and question why the genius had asked his suit to take over the flight. There had been times that Tony was drunk, injured, or physically sick and still refused to give JARVIS control of his suit. Tony hated being on autopilot unless he was incapacitated and unable to trust himself to fly without hurting someone. Which meant Tony was  **not** fine.

He just didn’t want Steve’s help.

~**~

“What’s got you so down, Thumper?” Steve’s lips pressed together tightly when he glanced up from the book he was attempting to read, taking in the red-headed woman now slinking toward the living room couch. It wasn’t hard to close the book, knowing he hadn’t picked up much of the plot through the hour he’d been trying to read it. “Mr. Bunny won’t bat his ear at you anymore?”

“I got that reference,” he admitted weakly, hating how his cheeks warmed at the romantic implication behind it. Natasha gave a hint of a smile when she curled onto the cushion next to Steve’s, surprising him with the presentation of a mug that he hadn’t taken in at first. The sweet smell of melted cocoa enticed the soldier into accepting the hot chocolate, warmed just enough for him to sip on without burning his mouth. 

“I thought you would;  _ Bambi _ did come out in the forties.” 

“Actually, I saw it last week with Sam. Said it was ‘research’. At the time that movie came out, I was trying to stop Red Skull from destroying the world; I didn’t have much time for anything else.” 

“But now you’d got plenty of hours for sulking and passing by the locked down laboratory ten times a day.” Nat’s observation skills were both impressive and embarrassing, Steve pressing his face closer to the ceramic to hide his flush. It wasn’t hard to admit that he’d been tense and out of sorts over the past two days: Tony had locked down his lab and revoked any passwords Steve knew to keep him from coming in. After the panic attack the man had gone through their last meeting, it’d left the captain uneased at his isolation, but JARVIS gave him hourly updates on Tony’s vitals. They were higher than normal, as if the man was in a constant state of anxiety. But JARVIS promised the engineer’s currently elevated stats weren’t ‘hazardous’, even if the AI wasn’t given permission to clarify what that meant. 

But Steve had a pretty good guess as to what the situation was.

“It’s not a good time for Tony to be alone,” Steve replied, unsure how to approach the sensitive subject with the skilled assassin. 

“Because he may be going into a heat?” But it didn’t seem like an explanation was needed, Nat brushing her hair behind her ear casually when Steve sent her a shocked look. “You’re not the only one who can read a book about rabbits and their sporadic heat cycles.” 

“They can get painful if the bunny isn’t spayed or neutered.” Steve’s fingers locked around the curve of the mug as he stared to his lap, not able to meet his teammate’s gaze when he continued. “They need a partner, but Tony...he’s rejecting anyone who gets too close to him.”

“Not you,” Natasha supplied, and Steve’s face burned again while he shook his head.

“Maybe a few days ago I would have agreed with that, but he’s locked me out. And even if he was letting me come in-I don’t know how to help him without it ruining our friendship after it’s over.” 

“After what’s over?” Buying himself time, Steve placed his mug onto the coffee table, lowering his voice as he spoke. 

“His heat, or maybe this whole spell in general. When his feelings go back to being his own and he’s no longer attracted to me.” 

“Hm.” The hum of coming to a conclusion made Steve’s shoulders sag, hating the drop in his heart at the indifferent response. Why he’d thought he’d get anything other than agreement, he wasn’t sure, but it still burned just the same. He didn’t pull away from the head that leaned onto his shoulder, a warm body providing physical comfort when pressing against his arm. Though never being the type of exude an interest in cuddling, Natasha had warmed up to affection throughout the years, showing her growing bond between her teammates. “Steve, can I tell you something without you automatically denying it as a possibility?” 

“What?” He asked, trying to glance at the shine of amber flowing along his collarbone. 

“Tony’s wanted you to make a move on him for years.” The statement wasn’t what he’d been expecting, but Natasha didn’t hesitate with her words even as he tensed against her. “Almost as long as you’ve been in love with him, if I had to make an educated guess.” 

“What gave you that idea?” 

“Well, besides how obvious you two are?” She sent a smirk up at him that made him squirm, unsure how to release the uncomfortable pressure of being called out from his chest. “The spell.”

“I don’t-”

“When I was in Russia, we had a small family of bunnies that made their nest right outside of my bedroom window. I was fascinated with their family, their love for each other-” For a moment, a flicker of death crept through the woman’s face, and Steve knew the demons that still lurked in her mind. It was the hallowed look in her green gaze that had Steve linking an arm around her back, pulling her closer to cement her in the present. A few blinks helped her calibrate where she was, and she passed him a look of silent gratitude before she continued. “So I learned about them. Why they seemed so close...and I learned that bunnies mate for life, Steve.”

“That’s still debated by most experts.” The comment gave away far too much about Steve’s commitment to helping Tony, as the man had even joined online bunny communities in order to learn methods of de-stressing bunnies and ways to get picky rabbits to eat their food. 

“Lower ranked bunnies in the colony will have sex with whoever is available,” Natasha agreed, arching her eyebrow to make her next point sink in. “Does Tony seem like he’d settle for being lower ranked?”

“We’re not a nest, though.”

“Maybe not by blood, but we co-exist like a pack. We eat together, fight together, take care of each other.” It was a soft sentiment that Steve knew was true, even if he didn’t want to concede to what Nat was implying. “Tony provides shelter for us, and makes sure our equipment is upgraded and flawless. He stocks the fridges, changes any parts of the tower when a new member comes along to make them feel secure...all signs are telling him he’s our nest leader. Which means if he went into heat, his unconscious instincts are telling him to protect himself and find a mate. And who do you think he chose to spend the rest of his life with?” 

“But we’re not...like that.” Except for the past few weeks, they had been. Tony’s constant questioning of his smell, as well as his desire to have body contact with Steve, were signs of interest, whether Tony 100% understood it or not. And when the engineer started to rub against his neck, trying to leave his scent behind, Steve hadn’t wanted to look too much into the sentiment. He knew what it meant for rabbits, and the implications that could be drawn when Tony had snuggled against him throughout the weeks. Tony was trying to mark him, so that when his heat finally did come, no other ‘rivals’ would try to stake their claim. And though Steve still felt wary about the situation, his stomach twisted in a moment of satisfaction at being chosen to help Tony through his moment of weakness. 

“Which is probably why he’s locked himself in his laboratory and is trying to deal with all of this on his own; his human side is aware of the lack of a title between the two of you, despite you both acting like you’re already married.”  

“But if Tony wants to um…” Steve tried to pick the right wording, but really only one felt like it fit the current situation. “Mate, then why didn’t he just ask?” 

“Because the man he wants to be with would never leave a team member in pain if he could help it. He’s probably not sure he can ask without getting the ‘as team leader, I’ll do it’ script from you.” A warm hand was pressed to his thigh, squeezing the tense muscle to confirm that Nat had his attention when she continued. “He doesn’t want Captain America; he wants Steve Rogers. And he doesn’t know if he can actually have him.” 

“Oh.” Steve’s blink came slow, eyes dropping down to the hand he’d fisted on his lap. “Dammit, Tony.” 

“Language.” Natasha smiled when Steve pushed off the couch, seeming already knowledgeable about the answer to the question she was preparing to ask. “Where are you going?” 

“To do something Bucky’s never going to let me live down.” 

“Leave Barnes and his lack of etiquette to me; I can be quite persuasive.” Even as she lifted Steve’s forgotten mug to her lips to sip the warm drink, there was danger in her posture that proved that she meant what she implied. “Just remember that a bunny’s heat may not be satisfied with one round. They can span-”

“I got it.” He tried to clear his throat when the end of the sentence cracked in a funny way, hating how warm under the collar he got when realizing what Natasha was implying. “Thank you, Nat.” 

“Take care of Tony, for all of us. Wouldn’t be the same without him around.” Her words left Steve’s chest warm when he hurried out of the room, knowing the path to the laboratory by heart. It was still locked down, which the captain had expected, but he went through the same routine he’d done multiple times before.

“JARVIS, he still in there?” 

“I’m afraid so. Sir has yet to lift the blackout protocol, so I am unable to give you access to the laboratory.” And it did sound like the AI was genuinely sorry for that. Steve didn’t let the denial affect his mission, glancing to the camera that was perched on the outside of the doorway. Tony, if he wanted, would be able to see Steve. He glanced back to the door, eyes focused on the speaker next to the keypad. 

“Can you link us through the audio feed of the intercom?”

“This is not covered under the blackout protocol. One moment, please.” There was a short stretch of silence before the familiar sound of the lab crackled through the speaker. Before Steve could speak, a whine echoed through his ears, though it was quickly covered up with a rough voice. 

“Really busy right now, can’t play today.” Heavy breathing and a tense edge of each word proved to the soldier that he and Natasha’s fears were right; Tony was in heat. Taking a slow breath, Steve squared his shoulders and stared at the intercom like it was an enemy to take down.

“That’s what I’m here to talk about. The thing you’re busy with.” 

“You suddenly an aeronautical engineer? If not, then I suggest you leave.” The snark was far weaker than Tony had probably meant to present it, and Steve pushed through the slight anxiety warming his own blood to continue. 

“It’s late February,” he started, knowing his comment would confuse Tony until he clarified the point. “That’s a prime time for bunnies who picked out a mate to be thrown into a heat cycle.” 

“I can handle myself, Cap.”

“You’re Tony Stark, nobody is implying you can’t under normal circumstances,” Steve started slowly, mind trying to piece together his offer without sounding demeaning. “And I know you can deal with this situation on your own just fine. You’re smart enough to figure something out. I’m not saying you have to take option B. But I...it seemed like the other day, maybe you wouldn’t mind my company so much.”  

His throat dried out when silence crept between them, wondering if he’d still crossed a line or insulted his friend. His stomach rumbled with nerves, feet unable to stay sill as he waited for a response. If Tony refused him, he wasn’t going to push it, knowing that the situation was too delicate to try and force his way in. It was why he hadn’t broken down the door days ago; Tony was still a person, despite the new appendages, and he deserved the respect and privacy as any other member on the team. Another minute of quiet had Steve ready to crawl out of his skin before the door of the lab slid open, the soldier quick to push inside in case Tony changed his mind. 

He’d never seen the pull out bed of Tony’s couch unfolded before, though it made sense with the long nights the engineer could spend in the laboratory. In the middle, surrounded by a comforter that looked like the one that had gone missing from his room two days ago, was Tony. From the bare chest peeking out from the heavy blanket, it was obvious he wasn’t dressed, making Steve’s skin flush and his dick twitch in interest. He’s seen Tony naked during mess ups in missions and the occasional shared shower in the gym, but never like this. Eyes wide and lacking irises, Tony’s cheeks were nearly red with color, despite the calm demeanor he tried to pass off. His hair was a mess, sticking up in places that proved how often he’d rolled his head against the pillows throughout the past two days. The thought made fire rush through Steve’s blood, though he kept his distance from the tempting scene by leaning against the re-closed lab door. 

“Hey,” he breathed quietly, picking up on the jerk of tension in Tony’s shoulder. Despite the move, his ears perked up eagerly, as if missing the sight of the captain.

“What did you mean by company?” Was the quick answer, Tony wiggling around on the bed as if unable to get comfortable with himself in the presence of Steve. Thankful that he’d left his boots upstairs, Steve quietly made his way closer to Tony, only stopping when reaching the edge of the bed. Tony’s eyes hadn’t left him since he entered the room, arms pulling the blanket closer to his body while he watched. 

“I want to stay with you, until this is over.” The scrunch of Tony’s nose in response made the captain shake his head, trying to rephrase the metaphorical lodged in his mouth. “Unless you’ll still want me around after your heat is over.” 

“If this is because you feel guilty-”

“It’s not.” He kept his eyes focused on Tony’s guarded look, and he felt his hands curl and release by his sides from nervous energy.  

“Then why?” Even if he tried to explain his feelings to Tony, there was no guarantee he’d believe him. The tension had started to bloom between them, heavy on the shoulders that dropped under Steve’s comforter. Ears were drawn back against Tony’s skull, showing his discomfort with the long pauses of silence. It was obvious that his teammate was ready to refute or avoid any logical explanation Steve provided. Trying to shake off the uncomfortable air, his mouth moved with little help from his brain, words falling out without a filter. 

“I want to be your Thumper.”

“M-My what?” Embarrassment flooded Steve’s chest the second the declaration came out, wanting to dunk his head in the nearest sink after turning the faucet on full blast. The unsure expression of the engineer had morphed into shock, furry appendages flopping forward in curiosity and hope. Too far to turn back, Steve dug himself deeper, silently cursing Natasha and Sam for introducing the concept to him. 

“I want to be your partner, Tony. Not just tonight, and not because you’re cursed or stuck in some spell. I’ve wanted to tell you that I was interested in you for a while now, but I just never thought I had a chance. We had a good thing going as friends, and you’re not exactly subtle in your flirting with any of our teammates. So I just thought you were doing the same with me.” Tony’s head tilted to the side in thought at Steve’s confession, the slight nod from the genius allowing Steve to move forward. “But this whole time, ever since you got bit by Anima’s bunny, you’ve only sought me out. And maybe it took me a little time to really think about that-”

“A little?” Tony interrupted, seeming unable to stop himself from putting his two cents into the conversation. 

“But now I’m thinking it may be because you like me, too. That maybe we’re both crazy about each other. So I’m not going to take back what I said, cause I meant it; I wanna be your Thumper, if you’ll have me.” Steve’s voice softened at the end of his declaration, hand held out the same way he’d done at the underpass. Tony’s eyes had lost their shock, simply staring at Steve as if he’d broadcasted his feeling on public television. Still, Steve didn’t panic, catching the happy twitches of Tony’s ears from the corner of his eye. It took only a second for Tony to groan, warm fingers snatching Steve’s hand to pull him onto the bed.  

“God, that was so corny.” Yet the purr that followed the statement proved his true feelings over the situation, scrambling to push Steve onto his back. He was rewarded with a lap full of naked Tony, who had let the comforter slide away from him when crawling up to kiss Steve’s brain out of his skull. The needy pressing of Tony’s lips against his was intense, like the man in his lap needed Steve to breathe, while hands scurried under his shirt. The fabric was pushed up over his stomach before Steve broke away from Tony’s mouth, shivering into the lips that slipped down his neck. 

“Do I need to get anything?” His question had Tony shaking his head into his collarbone, a sweaty palm skimming over his wrist before clasping his fingers around the leaner part of Steve. Making eye contact with the engineer to show his confusion, his breath was quickly stolen when his hand was led to the slick entrance of the man perched over him. 

“I said I was busy earlier.” Tony’s hips rocked back into Steve’s touch, a weak moan pressed close to the skin just under Steve’s ear. 

“You keep lube in your laboratory?” His words were quieter, distracted by the way Tony’s body shuddered and arched back into his fingers.

“Gotta be prepared. Never know when a super soldier will-” His sassy sentence was caught in his throat when Steve added pressure to his fingertips, two sinking into the loosened channel without much resistance. The weight of Tony’s head dropped to his shoulder while his legs parted furthur over Steve’s waist. Then needy hands were yanking on Steve’s shirt again, nearly pulling the seams apart from the force used. “Off, right now.” 

“I need my hand back then,” Steve replied, pulling the tips of his fingers back from their warm home in order to help Tony undress him. The shirt had barely popped off his head before Tony’s mouth was on his again, palms smoothing over the planes of his chest with the lightest of touches. Steve’s moan left his mouth open for Tony’s tongue to slip inside, pressing into every wet inch of the cavern that he could. The hips that had hovered over his now dropped down to grind the hardness between Tony’s legs against his own, a rush of pleasure claiming the spaces between Steve’s spine. The captain’s hands cupped the bare ass to grind them closer together, enjoying the little noises that continued to fall into his mouth between their tongues. Tony’s inability to hold back the vibrations of his purrs and whimpers was charming, and Steve felt himself smiling into their kiss. 

Tony’s touch refused to stay content with the exposed skin of Steve’s chest, fingers desperate to rip down the sweatpants still clinging uselessly to Steve’s hips. Steve’s mouth only left Tony’s for a moment to lift both of their hips up with his core and slip the elastic over his ass, glancing up in concern when a higher pitched whine was torn out of Tony’s throat. 

“Tony? Are you okay?” 

“You just lifted my body weight with just your hips.” 

“You’re not that heavy,” Steve answered, watching a shiver run across the naked flesh of the engineer. 

“That’s so-yeah, I needed you naked  **yesterday** .” Tony’s whole body twitched over him while his eyes fluttered shut, ass eagerly grinding a sticky mess onto the front of the sweatpants. 

Steve’s mind slowed for a moment at the hard pressure curving over his clothed dick, which had long ago filled with heavy arousal. His hands clasped over the fluid hips rocking against his, mesmerized by the alluring sight Tony made over him. The glow of his skin and flush of his cheeks were far sexier than any man had a right to look, but Tony pulled it off like it was second nature to him. He didn’t force the genius off his lap, feeling the shaky breaths rattling through his chest while he watched Tony seek his own pleasure. Mindlessly his hand moved to the small of the bare back, encouraging Tony to arch a little more and enjoying the pleased noise that echoed through the laboratory. His other hand slipped to the front of his blissed-out partner, fingers barely curling around the leaking cock before Tony’s whole body spasmed.

“Oh God, oh Steve that’s-” Two hard jerks of Tony’s hips into his hand had the overstimulated man crying out in pleasure, hot come splashing across Steve’s stomach. The engineer’s hands had to clutch the soldier’s shoulders while he rode out his orgasm, Steve feeling the warm hips grinding mindlessly against his. Watching Tony fall apart over him was impossible to turn away from, blue eyes following each roll of muscles along Tony’s lean body. Another forceful ride of Tony’s hips shook out the last dribble of come before he moaned, falling back onto Steve’s thighs, which he had propped up on the bed. The heat of the lab felt twenty degrees hotter than when he first entered, and Steve could see a line of sweat roll down Tony’s temple when he slowly opened his eyes again. 

“You okay?” Steve asked quietly, trying not to shift his thighs from under the curve of Tony’s ass. He could feel his own cock straining to escape his clothes, which had yet to be fully removed. Tony’s lips, flushed and swollen, pulled back into a smile that lacked any signs of him being prey. He slid down to squirm over Steve’s sensitive dick, nearly purring again at the curse that Steve released. 

“Oh, I’m perfect. Give me two minutes and I’ll be ready for round two. This heat thing makes me feel like I’m twenty again.” Fingers slipped through the mess on Steve’s stomach before Tony lifted them to the captain’s lips, eyes showing the widening of pupils when Steve took the digits into his mouth to clean them with his tongue. When he spoke again, his breathless tone went through Steve’s cock like a shot of lightning. “I seem to remember you promising to keep me company through all of this, Cap.”

“I will,” Steve mumbled when pulling from the spit-slickened fingers, teeth nibbling at the palm before glancing up at the genius through lidded eyes. “Take my pants off.” 

“Jesus.” Faster than he expected Tony to move, the man was off his lap, hands clawing hard enough at the remaining clothes to leave red welts on Steve’s thighs. Not willing to be so idle the second time around, Steve pushed up onto his knees once the boxers were slipped off his ankle, hands pulling Tony to his chest for another kiss. His hand stayed firm on the back of Tony’s neck, keeping him still while he properly explored the mouth he’d been dreaming of for years. Staying still seemed impossible for the other man, whose hips were already seeking friction against the newly exposed skin. Tony’s thigh tried to curl over Steve’s hip, as if to climb his body like a tree. A sharp bite against the man’s lower lips made him still for a moment, though the soft moan bouncing against his chest proved to Steve that Tony didn’t mind the rougher treatment. 

When the heated kiss broke apart, Tony’s breath spilled out in pants, hands sliding over Steve’s cheeks to press their foreheads together. 

“You’re amazing.” The words were so fond, Steve wasn’t sure he heard them right. His eyes blinked to focus on the softer expression on the engineer, hands trembling against the flushed skin of Steve’s face while he bit his lip. “You sure you wanna ruin yourself on someone like me?” 

“What?” 

“God this is such a bad idea. Way to ruin the sexy super soldier fantasy, Stark.” Tony’s eyes clenched shut as he shook their heads weakly, as if fighting with his own body’s urges before forcing his next sentence out. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fantastic lay. And feeling your very lovely cock inside me is a teenage dream come true. Really ruining me for anyone after you. But I’m not what most people would see as...relationship material. I’m all messy and complicated, never come to bed on time and always leave the toilet seat up. Not to mention the bunny ears and increased panic attacks, which are just occupational hazards from my time-consuming job. So if you don’t want to do this-” 

“Tony.” Steve’s hands wrapped around the man’s back, pulling them flush. For a moment he savored the intricate way their limbs slotted together, his thigh pressing into Tony’s arousal which had already hardened again from their kissing. He focused on running his lips over Tony’s throat, pressing slow kisses to the sensitive skin. Without direction, the mop of brunette hair tilted back, allowing Steve to lick over the curve of the man’s collarbone. 

“God, that’s so good.” The quiet praise from his lover made Steve smile, nuzzling the dampened skin before pushing back up to place a kiss onto his parted lips. He didn’t let it linger long, feeling Tony’s body lean after him when he pulled back. Steve was patient as he waited for Tony’s eyes to blink open again, speaking once brown eyes found him. 

“You are who I want. Maybe you’re not the best match for everyone, but I’ve been told I’m pretty stubborn when it comes to things I believe in.” He saw the hesitancy in the other man’s face slowly creep in, ears starting to flutter down in obvious insecurity. Shaking his head, Steve squeezed the hip of the other man, thumb smoothing down the slope of his stomach. “And I believe in this, more than anything else. Tony, you are the only person I want to wake up next to for the rest of my life.” 

“That was...okay, that was far less corny. Your learning curve is scarily impressive.” Steve’s smile was wide when seeing how his words affected Tony, the deflective comment not hiding the spark of hope in Tony’s expression. “Seriously, look into a job at  _ Hallmark _ if this superhero thing doesn’t pan out in the future.” 

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Steve’s mouth reclaimed Tony’s lips before he could come back with something else, dousing the creeping doubts of uncertainty between them. The fire that fought back was hot with desire, and Steve’s arousal throbbed with the need to slip inside the body rubbing slowly against his own. Still he kept his kiss steady, trying to show the truth of his words to the man now arching into his embrace. 

Tony’s mouth finally pulled back from the kiss before he nodded, slipping out of Steve’s hold to turn away from him. Steve’s confusion was short lived when Tony snagged the lube from under his pillow, the captain’s quick reflexes allowing him to catch the tossed bottle. Tony positioned himself with sultry movements, and Steve knew the man was aware of the seductive presentation he was giving of his body. His perky ass was tilted in the air, Tony’s chest laying flat against the crumpled sheets of the bed. His arms were propped under his head, as if preparing to keep him steady for rough thrusting. The slope of his back was highlighted by the light of the laboratory, which had been dimmed much lower than when Steve first had stepped in. If he had two brain cells to spare, he’d have connected that to JARVIS, but his mind had gone blank  when watching Tony casually spread his thighs further apart in front of him. Unable to resist temptation, Steve crawled forward, his free hand spreading slowly over Tony’s spine. A shiver and a moan travelled through Tony before glancing back to Steve and smirking. 

“This is where you fuck me, Steve.” The command lacked force, because Tony knew he didn’t need it. Steve was always helpless when it came to the seductive man in front of him, and the bedroom was no exception. The lube spread over his fingers was easy to warm before he slipped two fingers inside of Tony, who preened at the sensation before pushing back into it. Though slightly tighter than their previous play, the genius was still relaxed, ears shuddering down onto his head in pleasure when Steve’s fingers spread inside of him. Tony’s hips refused to stay still, trying to jerk back into the thrust of Steve’s hand to urge him faster. “Add a third finger, I’m already stretched.” 

“How long have you been in heat?” Steve asked while following the request, watching Tony’s body tremble at the added width. 

“Since last ni-right there, sweetheart-last night.” Steve explored the heat surrounding his fingers, feeling Tony’s body clench around his touch when he brushed against his prostate. He took time to stroke over the bundle of nerves with each short rock of his fingers, Tony’s moans grew in sound with each rub of the sensitive spot, legs trying to spread wider without losing his hip’s angle. Entranced by the sight of his pale fingers being sucked inside the man who’d held his heart for years, Steve nearly missed the gasped version of his name breaking through Tony’s lips. “St-Steve!”

“Huh?” 

“Need you to fuck me. Fuck me now.” Wiggled hips and Tony’s fluttering entrance proved that he’d been close to another orgasm, and Steve felt the muscles trying to pull his fingers back inside while he slipped them back out. 

“Right, just let me...” His hand couldn’t get to the lube fast enough, breath slipping between clenched teeth when sliding the cool gel over his own heated skin. The outside of Tony’s thighs fit in his palms perfectly, Steve pulling him back to slide his cock along the curve of his ass. The moan of approval from the man under him was instant, Steve leaning down to press his chest against Tony’s back. The skin was clammy and overheated, proving the ‘heat’ earned it’s title completely. One of his callused hands slid to secure a hold along Tony’s inner thigh, the other helping line up the weeping head against the warm entrance trying to suck Steve inside. A shaky kiss against Tony’s shoulder blade had the engineer groaning, Steve watching his head drop to the bed with a hiss. 

“Get a move on, Cap. It’s starting to hurt.” The edge could be heard in the forced joke, and Tony’s shoulders tensed for a moment as if a wave of pain hit into him. “Steve,  **please** .” 

“I’ve got you, Tony.” Hoping the slow caress of his hand over Tony’s thigh and his previous promise would ease some of the ache, Steve pushed his hips forward, both gasping at the intense feeling of the soldier slipping inside. 

Heat surrounded him with little resistance, Steve’s lips parting around the sweaty skin of Tony’s shoulder as he groaned. The man under him had started to claw at the sheets, already trying to press their bodies closer together. Steve’s hips didn’t need time to settle into a rhythm, already being dragged into the pace set by the hips in front of him. There was no working into the speed, the fast pace seeming to be what both men needed. Tony’s hands were clenching around sheets as he moaned into his pillow, the needy sound urging Steve’s body into deeper thrusts. The intense arousal flooding his limbs made them heavy and tight, but Steve ignored the sensation to curl tighter around Tony. One of his hands hand migrated down one of Tony’s arms, grabbing the shaking hand still clenched in the sweat soaked fabric. Instantly the fingers released their grasp, spreading without thought for Steve’s fingers to link through. The other hand returned to Tony’s cock, slow strokes making a choked gasp stall in the engineer’s throat. 

Steve’s breath was hot against the back of Tony’s neck while he jerked another powerful stroke inside the man, eyes focused on the flutter of ears over Tony’s head. They couldn’t settle, bobbing in time to the motion of their bodies. He ground his hips in a circle when fully seated inside Tony, a strange punch of lust seeping through his skin when watching the ears spazz from the change. It paired up beautifully to the loud noise from underneath him, proving that Tony enjoyed the change of pace. Steve’s attention dropped back down the face that had exposed itself when Tony tossed his head back, eyes closed tight while lips panted for large gasps of air. 

The quivering of the legs against his own proved that Tony was tired, probably worn down from constant heat before they’d even started. Had Tony been able to sleep? Had he eaten? Or had lust and the need to come blurred all other needs? Determined to fuck him well enough to get him some reprieve, Steve picked up his pace, the hand on Tony’s dick tightening enough to overwhelm Tony’s senses. Tony noticed the change instantly, hand squeezing around Steve’s while he tried to jerk into the touches dragging him closer to finishing. 

“Steve, I can’t-fuck!” The sweaty forehead was pressed into the side of Steve’s neck, and he felt the brush of an ear flickering against his cheek while he pushed even harder into the pulsing body under him. 

“You can,” Steve answered quickly, feeling his own body starting to tighten from the oncoming orgasm. He dragged his hand down the length of Tony’s cock before pressing his thumb against the slit at the head, giving a slow rub that had Tony’s back arching toward the mattress. A few more hard thrusts matched up with the rougher touch had the warm body around Steve’s dick tightening, Tony’s voice going hoarse from his shout. 

The second Steve’s hand felt the first wave of his lover’s orgasm, Steve’s mind went fuzzy, whiting out from his own pleasure as he fell over the edge. He pressed inside with enough force to move the whole couch, Tony’s body clenching hard around him in response. For several long moments, everything was bliss to Steve, unable to focus on anything but the sensation of Tony’s channel clenching and unclenching around his sensitive dick. The contents of the room were slow to come back to Steve’s mind, and he had to struggle pull away from the warmth of Tony’s back to check on the other man. 

“Tony?” He heart a muffle of protest when Steve slid himself out of Tony, hands quick to guide the side to the other man to lay on the bed. Tony’s eyes hadn’t opened, still seeming to be floating in the bliss of his orgasm. Their linked hands meant that Steve’s arm was maneuvered awkwardly under Tony’s neck, and a few annoyed tugs from the relaxed man had Steve slowly moving to spoon against the back he’d been pressed to seconds before.

“The cuddling is all me; no animal influence to make you feel guilty over.” As if reading the uncertainty from Steve, Tony’s other hand blindly patted behind him until grabbing the muscled arm and yanking it over his waist. “Especially after mind-blowing sex like that.” 

“You feeling any better?” Steve asked, running the tip of his nose against Tony’s neck. The body shivered under him, but didn’t squirm away, seeming too tired to move at all. 

“Feels a lot more manageable right now. Might need another dose of your antidote later, but it feels like we’ve over the worse of it. Your dick is magic.” 

“I thought you didn’t believe in magic?” 

“I do if that’s the result.” The answer had Steve shaking his head, pulling Tony closer to his body.  

“I’d still like Dr. Banner to check in with you tomorrow,” Steve replied, expecting Tony’s dramatic sigh. 

“You know how much it annoys my other side when you try to have other people touch me? Makes my whole body tense up.” Steve’s heart shouldn’t have swelled at the childish statement, but his lips wobbled with a smile before pressing a small kiss to the top of Tony’s spine. Tony’s huff vibrated his lips, though the engineer didn’t pull away from the sign of affection. “Some expert you are.” 

“Sorry, they didn’t cover human-rabbit hybrids in the book.” 

“Well, tell me this, Bunny Guru.” Tony shifted in Steve’s arms, turning so he could glance up when asking his question. “Us  _ Leporidades _ ...do we date? Possibly Thursdays, at 7pm?”

“They do.” 

“Really?” Steve’s smile was wide when he leaned down, brushing their noses together in a sign of affection he knew would make the bunny inside Tony purr. He reached his free hand up to the twitching ear, stroking it softly to relax Tony into him before answering. 

“Yup. But only at salad bars.” 

~**~

The next morning, Natasha sipped on her coffee, glancing away from the window’s sunlight when hearing a familiar shuffle scurry across the open floor. 

“Where are you heading off to?” Bruce’s head lifted from his hurried pace, smile warm when seeing the beautiful woman curled on the couch of the living room. 

“Good morning, Nat. I was just going to get Tony; Wanda and Dr. Strange are back from their trip, and know how to reverse the spell.” 

“I would suggest waiting until this evening.” She could see the confused look pinch the eyebrows of the doctor, her heart shimmering with the hint of fondness at the cute expression. 

“I thought Tony would want to change back as soon as possible? And Steve has been-”

“Steve and Tony are both currently dealing with a new development.” Her finger curled quietly in the morning air, enticing the wary man into the living room to sit on the couch with her. 

“Should I be worried? They didn’t tell me there were any changes.” Leaning her head onto his shoulder, Nat simply shrugged before giving her quiet response. 

“Nothing to be worried about, so long as you stay away from Tony’s laboratory.”

“Why?” 

“Bunnies get aggressive during heat.”

“During their-oh.  **Oh** . Did they finally...” Bruce fumbled over his words, making Nat smile into her coffee before speaking. 

“If bunnies bite or scratch to protect their mates, imagine what Captains do.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's all folks! Wow this was a lot of work. But I'm happy with the result. I hope that you'll be kind enough to leave me a kudos and tell me what you think of it. It would help me feel so much better about spending all this time on this. Thank you all for supporting me this month, and just know my discord peeps are the best ever! <3 Thank you again!


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